


You Can't Always Avoid The Bumpy Roads En Route To The Destination But A Good Playlist Can Make The Journey More Enjoyable

by evenlaughterbringstears



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-06 17:10:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8761849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evenlaughterbringstears/pseuds/evenlaughterbringstears
Summary: Series of drabbles about how Serena and Bernie's life together develops before and after marriage. Parts published in no particular order but all build a connected story.Each chapter named after a song, that song will either be an influence for the chapter or because the title describes the drabble perfectly.





	1. You're In My Heart

“Mum, you look amazing so stop stressing and no you haven’t got time for a fag, Serena won’t want to be kissing you at the end of the ceremony if you smell of smoke” Cam smiled as Bernie continued to fidget  
“She’s probably used to it by now” Charlotte laughed as Bernie began to pace “Cam is right though Mum, stop stressing, everything is going to be perfect, you look amazing and trust me looking at the picture Jason sent so does Serena”  
“She always looks amazing” Bernie grins at the image in her mind  
“Watch out Mum’s mind has wandered into the gutter again Char”  
“Cheeky sod, if you really must know I was thinking about how stunning Serena is when fast asleep, when she is peaceful, nothing worrying her, her thought pattern completely off, only I get to see that wonderful sight, it’s….”  
“It’s what Mum?” Charlotte asked  
“It’s one of the three most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, all of which are burnt into my memory. The other two images are you, the first time I set eyes on you both……I know I haven’t been the best mother but I always did the best that I could. I’m just sorry that it took me so long to get being a Mum sorted and I’m so sorry for all the pain I caused you both” Bernie swallowed hard  
“Mum…” Bernie was surprised that it was Charlotte who had responded, having had a turbulent relationship with her daughter over the years “we all know that life wasn’t perfect, all said & done things we weren’t proud of, wish we could change, but ultimately I wish I could have realised how unhappy you were”  
“Charlotte I don’t think…”  
“Mum let me finish, when you & Dad split up I was horrible, I was blinkered to everything, it hurt that you cheated on Dad with a woman, I then used it as a stick to beat you with, and it would have hurt just as much if it had been with a man. When Cam told me about Serena, how different you were around her, how normal it seemed compared to what we saw between you and Dad. It made me think a lot, which is why I finally bit the bullet and agreed to meet you, I wanted to see if Cam was right. I arrived long before you, I was sat in my car when Serena & you arrived, watched as you paced around yet were instantly clamed when she touched your arm, you flashed a smile at her before she left and I realised that I had never seen you look so happy and so at peace”  
“Serena came with me as I had almost chickened out several times, not because I didn’t want to see you, because I didn’t want things to get worse between us”  
“I figured that out, before we spoke, I realised that I was the last piece of the puzzle, you were finally happy, finally yourself and more than anything I needed my mum in my life again” Charlotte kissed her mother’s cheek “These last few years have been great, I’m glad you met Serena, she gave me my mum back and I can’t wait to be able to officially call her my step-mother”  
“Thank you, for giving me a second chance, allowing me back into your life & letting Serena in to it too. Today wouldn’t have been right without you, Cam, Elinor and Jason by our sides”  
“Wild horses Mum” Cameron smiled  
“Indeed they wouldn’t” Charlotte’s smile reflected her brothers as Bernie pulled them both into her arms  
They broke apart from their hug when they heard a cough behind them  
“Sorry to break up the family moment” Raf apologised “I’ve had word from Jason; you need to come in now so that Serena can come down from the room she was smuggled into earlier this morning. Jason also said that if you linger out here too much longer everything will be running late”  
Bernie laughed “Can’t have Jason panicking this early in the day, he will also kill me if I catch a glimpse of Serena before she walks into the room, he practically threw me out the house after dinner last night and made me send a picture to confirm that I had arrived here”  
“He means well” Raf offered  
“He sure does, come one let’s get the show started”

As Bernie waiting by the registrar with Cameron and Charlotte she looked around at the faces of their friends and colleagues who had joined them, she laughed as she met the eyes of Mikey Fletcher who flashed a cheeky grin and thumbs up before being told to behave by Fletch. Still not believing how they all accepted their relationship unconditionally, all the concerns and fears that their relationship would not be accepted were just hers, fears which made her run to Kiev and break Serena’s heart. She was lucky that Serena had given her another chance to live this contented existence  
“You ok Mum?” Charlotte whispered noticing the frown that had appeared on Bernie’s face  
“Yes my darling, just thinking how I almost lost this, almost lost my soul mate because of my stupidity”  
“You didn’t lose her though Mum, you won the girl, you won happiness, we might not be the typical family but it works, we take care of each other and love each other in the same way”  
“Just need to seal the deal”  
“Such a romantic description Cam” Charlotte slapped her brother as Bernie turned hearing music begin and waited for Serena to walk into view 

Bernie’s smiled widened further as her eyes locked with Serena’s; knowing that their smiles matched each other’s along with their happiness. Bernie glanced to the left of her bride to Jason, his grin bigger than his Auntie’s, proudly escorting her towards Bernie. In Jason’s eyes Serena & Bernie’s relationship had been straightforward, easy to understand, they loved each other, nothing more nothing less.  
Serena had told Bernie about the conversations she had with him when rumours were circulating about them whilst she was in Kiev, he had helped Serena through the darkness of their separation, and the scars of that time had healed over time and built the foundations for the strong family unit they had become.  
Thanks to Jason they were able to clear the air on Bernie’s return and get their relationship back on track; he was their biggest cheerleader in the early days and the support had never wavered, yes he let secrets slip to the wider world at the most inappropriate moment without realising the potential damage that could occur but life would be dull without him. Elinor looked just as proud as her cousin as Bernie smiled at her step-daughter to be.

Serena & Elinor had almost as turbulent relationship as she had with Charlotte and Bernie’s relationship with Elinor had been rocky at the beginning, especially as she had reacted badly when they first met, luckily through the situations they faced Bernie & Elinor were able to have a frank and honest conversation which cleared the air, Elinor apologised and their relationship developed through gained mutual respect from friendship to the strong bond they now had.  
Elinor laughed when she saw the appreciative wink Bernie fired in her mother’s direction, they really were worse than a pair of lovesick, hormonal teenagers and probably found the hours since they had last seen each other tortuous. Elinor, Cam & Charlotte were not surprised that they had to confiscate mobile phones at 11pm last night, after finally realising that their respective mothers saying they needed an early night after a busy day sorting out last minute wedding issues was in fact a well-rehearsed plan to allow them to spend the evening talking via facetime. Their plan failed after an innocent remark from Jason to Elinor about Serena talking to and laughing at the television alerted Elinor. It had amused her and her future step-siblings that they had to be told off like children.

When Serena, Elinor and Jason reached Bernie, Cam & Charlotte Bernie took Serena’s hand, as their family stood behind them, and kissed it before holding it flat against her heart “Now and forever, this is yours, I love you” Bernie smiled  
“Good because if you didn’t love me and I didn’t love you today would be very awkward and unnecessary, you are forever in my heart and will be long after I take my final breath” Serena smiled as Bernie wiped away the tear that rolled down her cheek and placed a kiss where she had wiped it from  
“Auntie Serena, Auntie Bernie, there’s plenty of time for mushy stuff later….”  
“Yes thank you Jason” Serena grinned before turning with Bernie to face the registrar.


	2. Mistletoe & Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of post Nightmare before Christmas flirting

'Is there no ends to your list of talents?' Serena asked as they walked across the car park to where Bernie's car was parked  
'Clearly not' she grinned 'anyway I won you loads of chocolate coins, surely that gets me plenty of girlfriend points'  
'Girlfriend? I thought this between us was just about sex' Serena laughed 'Bloody good sex'  
'So I could have not bothered buying you Christmas presents then?'  
'Not on your life Ms Wolfe! I've already missed out on an evening of wine tonight'  
'Poor Serena! How did you cope?!'  
'Luckily I had a very attractive blonde to stare at so the evening wasn't completely wasted, unlike half the hospital staff'  
'How about we pick up some chips on the way back to yours open some wine to wash them down, at least at yours we don't have to behave, I had to fight the urge several times today to come kiss you when you were stood under that mistletoe'  
'Funny I had the same battle' Serena grinned 'Although I might have liberated some from the ward so I could kiss you under the mistletoe when we were alone' she pulled the stolen sprig out of her pocket  
'Genius idea Fräulein, just think if we had gone to the party at Albie's we would still be there quaffing wine, rather than heading back to yours, at least it now means I can have a drink too'  
'Beauty & brains'  
'If you want we can make a detour via Albie's?'  
'No I think your first suggestion for the rest of this evening was perfect....well almost'  
'Almost?'  
'Well how about we eat the chips & drink the wine in bed?'  
'And risk making a mess on those very expensive sheets? Ms Campbell I'm shocked'  
'Now Major don't act all coy, it was you who came to bed with bed with a bottle of champagne to drink without any glasses the second time we slept together, I don't remember you being so worried about making a mess then, in fact you were more than happy to make one'  
'How about we play hunt the stolen mistletoe?  
'Sounds perfect' Serena quickly scanned the car park to check that no one was about, seeing that they were alone she pulled Bernie in for a kiss 'what are we waiting for? Home we go, last one into bed has to tidy up'


	3. Dancing On My Own

Spending a Saturday night in an 80’s bar was not his normal thing, to be honest it was his idea of absolute hell, but it was his nephew’s stag do and he could cope with it for one evening especially now.  
He noticed her the moment she walked in with a crowd who he presumed were colleagues, the only other person he recognised from the hospital was a blonde that he had never met but had seen around the last few times he had been at the hospital for work purposes.  
He should have known that the lure of returning to the police force would be too powerful for him to refuse, especially after his brush with mortality. He knows his colleagues laugh at his eagerness to follow up cases at the hospital in case it would lead him to seeing the vascular surgeon that still held his heart. His visits there on a case in November last year lead him directly to AAU which made him hopeful, hope that was dashed by a junior doctor informing him that she was on holiday for 3 weeks. The vision of her made him smile; Serena still looked as stunning as she did the last time he saw her, the only difference being the radiant smile that she was flashing at those around her. 

Since entering the bar Robbie had noticed that all of her attentions were focused on the blonde, as if they were lost in their own little world and it seemed only a young male colleague was brave enough to enter the bubble they were enclosed in, handing them drinks before kissing the cheek of the blonde before she hugged him. He watched the interactions between them, the third member of the group clearly young enough to be the son of either of them, noticing how the lights caught on the ring on the left hand of the blonde he wondered if he was her son, they had similar angular faces, the blonde and potential son were suddenly giggling, he followed their eyes and couldn’t help but laugh too as Serena tried to shake off an unwanted admirer, yes that woman was still irresistible to all men. After a few minutes the admirer had still yet to take the hint and the blonde came to the rescue, pulling Serena away and staying in her personal space until the hopeful man took the hint and left them alone.

Robbie spent half an hour watching Serena with her blonde friend, the pair still oblivious of those around them, Serena said something to the blonde which was met by a nod before they left the dancefloor and headed in the direction of the bar, Serena waiting at the bar to be served whilst the blonde went in the direction of the toilets, draining his drink he decided it was now or never and approached Serena  
‘Can I buy you a drink?’ Robbie asked, still not believing that after more than three years they had bumped into each other in this environment  
‘Don’t you take a hint’ Serena span round ‘Oh Robbie….sorry I didn’t mean to be rude…’  
‘It’s ok, I saw you on the dancefloor earlier, and you had a rather persistent follower, lucky your friend came to your rescue’  
‘Yes she did, although I did think her & her son were just going to carry on laughing rather than assist me’  
‘They did look as if they were enjoying your discomfort’  
‘As per normal’ she smiled ‘you look well’  
‘Not as well as you, you look amazing, better than ever to be precise’  
‘Robbie…..’  
‘Just saying, c’mon you can’t blame a man for appreciating a beautiful and sexy woman?’  
‘It’s nice of you to say so but nothing is going to happen’ she purposely handed the money to the bar staff with her left hand, hoping that Robbie would notice her rings  
‘Surely your friends wouldn’t notice if you slipped off with an old friend?’  
‘Robbie, please don’t continue that statement’ clearly he was too busy studying her body  
‘I know it’s been a while but we were always good together’  
‘It’s not that Robbie, I’m married’  
‘Married, seriously?’  
‘Yes, last November’ she held up her hand  
‘All sorted with it’s complicated or was there another lucky bloke’  
‘Complicated, easily fixed a few weeks later by a return flight from Kiev’ she noticed Robbie’s confused expression ‘one of the complications was that they were on secondment there, the problem of being one of the best trauma surgeons in Europe is that everyone wants you, you pair that opportunity with itchy feet syndrome’  
‘Further complications’  
‘Once an army medic, always an army medic, cure the need to run away and life certainly becomes less painful’  
‘Must be a special man if he can persuade you to give marriage another chance, I thought I was doing well with a mortgage, surely knowing you are there waiting must have been the perfect cure for itchy feet, anyone who that deal doesn’t work for isn’t worthy of you’  
‘They are special in so many ways but’ her words faltered as she felt a familiar touch circle her elbow, not needing to turn round to know that Bernie was now at her other side  
‘C’mon Mrs Wolfe, Major Wolfe thinks it’s time you helped to recreate a wedding reception by slow dancing whilst sharing lots of kisses on the dancefloor’ Bernie’s eyes glinted as she stood alongside Serena  
‘What if I don’t fancy doing that?’ she flirted back, Robbie forgotten for the moment  
‘After kicking your spouse out of bed at 9:30 this morning so you could get an undisturbed post night shift sleep, only to come crawling into the spare room less than half an hour later because you couldn’t sleep? I would say you owe me’ Bernie pouted and fluttered her eyelashes  
‘You complete fool’ Serena laughed, entwined her arm around Bernie’s waist and turned back to Robbie ‘Yes you were right about them being special, Robbie this Bernie, the complication or more fondly known as my wife’  
‘You weren’t joking about things being complicated’ Robbie managed to say without his voice reflecting the clear surprise on his face  
‘Not that complicated really, Bernie knows what happened between us when she was away, Jason told her about 2 hours into her first shift back’  
‘He sure did, it led to a rather interesting shift, listen I’ll leave you two to talk, come find me when you’re done, it’s nice to meet you properly Robbie, don’t hate her, I didn’t’ Bernie picked up her & Cam’s drinks ‘better go find that son of mine before he complains that I’ve abandoned him again’  
Serena and Robbie watched Bernie walk away ‘It’s nice to see you happy, Bernie is a very lucky woman’  
‘Think the luck works both ways, let’s find a table, it might be over three years too late but I owe you the explanation that I couldn’t give you at the time’  
‘Serena you don’t owe me anything’  
‘I do, I treated you appallingly, you didn’t deserve it, even more so with the worries you had at the time’

‘Get distracted?’ Cam asked suppressing a smirk as Bernie handed him his drink  
‘No there was a queue’ Bernie sipped her drink  
‘You’ve lost something on the way back as well’ Cam laughed at his mum’s baffled expression ‘roughly your height, brown hair, queen of one line put downs and eyebrow raises, my step mother?’  
‘She’s catching up with someone she’s not seen for a few years, me sticking around would have been just too awkward, that’s why I suggested they talk and I return to you’  
‘Sounds interesting, who is Serena talking to?’  
‘Her ex-boyfriend’  
‘Robbie the Bobbie?’ Bernie raised her eyebrow at her son’s remark ‘come on Mum, did you really think I wouldn’t make use of the Holby grapevine and find out more about the woman my mother was mooning over whilst I was lying on a stretcher injured?’  
‘I wasn’t mooning over her’  
‘Seriously, you are still going to deny that one? How some of my F1 colleagues didn’t spot the sparks coming of the pair of you when Morven showed us round all those years ago I will never know’  
‘Well as you may remember some of your former colleagues observation skills were rather blinkered when looking for suitors for Ms Campbell’  
‘Yeah as if Serena would have given me a second glance’ Cam laughed

‘I’m sorry if you felt or feel that I used you’  
‘It must have been very confusing, I can see that, I would have been daft if I hadn’t realised what you wanted when you contacted me, we always had fun when together, but long lasting relationships don’t survive on fun and good sex alone’  
‘It was a good place to start though?’ Serena smiled hoping Robbie would realise her words were true, their relationship had been good despite how abruptly it ended ‘life has a way of derailing at times and make you question your foundations’  
‘And that’s what meeting Bernie did? Shake everything you knew about yourself?’  
‘That puts it mildly’ Serena laughed ‘when you reach the age of 51 you think you’ve got life sussed, nothing left to discover about yourself then bam, this person walks into your life who turns it completely upside down, yet puts it back on an even step at the same time, whenever they are around’ she smiled  
‘That’s what love does’  
‘Yes I suppose it does, no there is no suppose about it that’s exactly what love does when that person is the one you are destine to be with, what falling in love with Bernie did, what it still does’  
‘I am glad you are happy, glad you and Bernie have each other’ he smiled warmly  
‘Thank you for letting me explain everything, for not hating me when it would had been the easiest thing for you to do’  
‘I could never hate you, I’m with Bernie on that, talking of Bernie she has spent far too much of this evening without you, it has been lovely to catch up with you but go and enjoy your evening with you wife and step-son’ Robbie watched Serena’s face light up at the mention of Bernie’s name  
‘That is exactly what I intend to do’ Serena stood up, leant over and kissed Robbie’s cheek ‘I hope you find the happiness you deserve’

Locating Bernie & Cam took Serena no time at all, she spotted Bernie dancing from the stairs, watching the movement of her wife mesmerised her as she walked up behind her, hands sliding around Bernie’s hips, pulling her closer as she kissed the back of her neck  
‘I’m hoping that it’s my wife doing that or someone is about to get knocked out’ She chuckled, placed her hands on top of Serena’s and leant back onto her  
‘You should be so lucky’ Serena smiled as she kissed Bernie’s ear ‘Your hips are entrancing me, hypnotic as the sway, almost as distracting as when they are moving against me in bed, or when you are desperately trying to contain your pleasure’ she slipped her hand onto her thigh as the words she whispered caused Bernie to groan and throw her head back further, desperately trying to get her lips to make contact with Serena’s, intentions foiled as Serena trailed kisses down her neck and onto her collar bone, in order to quell her frustration Bernie reached up and stroked Serena’s cheek, her thumb stroking the shell of the brunettes ear ‘talking of pleasure’ Serena kissed Bernie’s ear ‘your wish was for slow dancing on the dance floor, slow dancing and even slower kissing’  
Bernie span round and wrapped her arms around Serena’s neck ‘I don’t know what you mean, I’m not that type of girl’  
‘Don’t go all coy on me Mrs Wolfe, I know exactly what you are like and I heard that groan that escaped from your lips moments ago, I know you are desperate to kiss me’  
‘I’m always desperate to kiss you Mrs Wolfe’ she placed a chaste kiss to her lips  
‘You tease’ Serena winked noticing the glint in Bernie’s eyes ‘looks like you need a few lessons’  
‘Sure do, just need to find a willing teacher, do you know anyone?’ she flirted before Serena pulled her closer into her and kissed her passionately.

Robbie stood observing Serena & Bernie interactions as they danced together, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy, jealous that it wasn’t him with Serena’s arms wrapped round them, a feeling that he knew he had no right to have. He couldn’t imagine how Bernie must have felt by Jason’s revelation let alone how she had been so polite and given the suggestion that he & Serena talked. The revelation of the evening had surprised and devastated him in equal measure yet ultimately had left him feeling at peace, his own stupidity had lost him Serena all those years ago, his inability to accept and get to know Jason when Serena couldn’t ignore the urge to love and protect Jason.  
He always held out hope that their paths would cross again and they would work through everything, they could build on what they planned to do that day at the hospital, until Serena told him there was someone else, now he had met that someone else he had always wondered about he knew that life had worked out perfectly for all of them. Seeing how relaxed Serena was with Bernie reminded him that women like her deserved to be happy in relationships without having to compromise anything, clearly the pain and heartache they had gone through to be together was needed to achieve what they had. Bernie Wolfe was a lucky lady, who clearly loved and worshipped Serena in a way that was equally returned, however damaging to his male pride he could not deny that if Serena and he had been together when Bernie had arrived at Holby it wouldn’t have been long for the attraction to come to the surface and spell the end of their relationship, he then would have hated both women.  
Robbie drained his drink, took another look at Serena & Bernie as they shared a nodded exchange before waving at Cam and left the bar wrapped in the blissful bubble they had been in all night, he couldn’t stop his face from smiling, yes that was definitely true love and it was time for him stop dwelling on lost chances, lost love and to stop moping over Serena, she was happy, it was time for him to find his happiness.


	4. I'll Stand By You

Bernie watched as Serena rearranged her clothing & hair in the mirror for the fifth time in as many minutes ‘You look fantastic, so don’t fret about it, I know you are using it as distraction but trust me when I say regardless of what happens I am here, I am not running away anywhere’ she smiled as she slipped her arms around her girlfriends waist and kissed her cheek  
‘I know it’s silly worrying about what’s not happened yet but after speaking to Elinor on the phone, well I say speaking she did nothing but shout at me, part of me is hopeful that she’s calmed down now she’s had time to think, I know she should have found out about us a lot sooner, from me not her father, how could I have been daft enough to not think that Edward would not ring her, his ego wouldn’t let him not, I should have gone straight to her the following morning, not waited for her to ring back. I deserved the shouting and the swearing’  
‘Serena you didn’t deserve what she said to you, I know she was upset and hurt but that doesn’t excuse what she said to you and her behaviour’  
‘I’m not excusing it; I know her behaviour is not going to be any better this evening, I’m not stupid’  
‘I never said you were, I just know how much this hurts’  
‘The difference is your daughter isn’t a spoilt little madam, Charlotte was, still is, hurting, everything she had ever known had been shattered, Ellie has always been a nightmare and that is down to me and Edward letting her get away with it, now I’m dealing with the consequences of turning a blind eye to her behaviour’  
‘Sweetheart I hate seeing you hurt when I can’t do anything to stop it or take it away from you, I know it’s comical after I broke your heart and caused so much pain when I ran off to Ukraine, I know I have no right to react this way about how Elinor is treating you, hurting you but I can’t help it, I love you too much for this not to bother me, I want to, no I need to protect you’  
‘Now aren’t I lucky that my girlfriend is a big macho army medic, every girl wants a protector and I got the best one’ Serena turned in Bernie’s arms and placed a soft kiss to her lips  
‘I might have the army training but you Ms Campbell can cause as much destruction through withering people with one look, I know you are more than capable of protecting yourself but I can’t help this feeling, the more I fall in love with you the more I need to protect you, daft I know’  
‘No it’s not daft, I think it’s lovely, you can protect me whenever you want. I’m pretty sure I’ll need the protection of your arms when tonight is over’  
‘Always guaranteed’ Bernie smiled before capturing Serena’s lips with her own and reaffirmed her words with kisses.

Serena looked up as more people entered the busy pub ‘Well she’s never been punctual but an hour is still within her normal standards’  
‘What’s her record?’  
'Two and a half hours’ Serena laughed  
‘Remind me never to have a go at Cam when he pitches up 15 minutes late, unless its work related’  
‘Then you have permission to go fully loco on him like any department lead would’  
‘Noted’ Bernie grinned before looking down at the decreasing level of wine in their glasses ‘shall I go get a bottle? We could be here some time’  
‘Sounds a perfect idea, then if she decides not to turn up we can at least say we had a pleasant evening’  
‘She will be here, you know she will’ She squeezed Serena’s hand before getting up and walking to the bar ‘Bottle of shiraz please’ Bernie smiled as she handed over £20 to the bar staff and waiting for the wine, her smile dropping as she noticed Elinor approach the bar  
‘Two vodkas and a glass of chardonnay’ Elinor barked at the barman ‘make it a large glass’  
Bernie watched as Elinor knocked back the vodka and ordered two more, having not met Elinor before she took the chance to try and suss her exact state of mind, knowing that knocking back neat vodka was not a good sign ‘Are you ok?’  
‘Yes, what makes you…..oh the vodka, liquid courage for the evening perhaps, about to meet my mother’s girlfriend’ Elinor laughed, unaware that she had already done so  
‘Good Luck?’  
‘Well it’s gonna be interesting that’s for sure, parental mid-life crisis take two, I should be used to them with my Dad by now, eternal peter pan, choosing girlfriends around the age he thinks he still is, though my mum was the sensible one, then again should have realised that she wasn’t when she got back with him a few years ago, lucky she saw sense quickly and he moved on to the next dumb blonde’  
‘Surely he’s not that bad’  
‘Wanna bet? My step mother is young enough to be my older sister, any wonder my mum calls her the child bride my dad is still stupid enough to try it on with any woman that he can as well’  
Bernie chuckled at Elinor’s words knowing that Serena called the present Mrs Campbell far worse and that the description fitted Edward perfectly, as if he had not been attempting to try it on with her whilst on a night out with Serena & others from AAU then this evening would not be happening  
‘Just when you think your parents are getting too old to cause you much more embarrassment or problems your mother decides to become a lesbian overnight…..sorry you not need to hear a stranger rambling about a family that sounds like they belong on Jeremy Kyle, talk about make an evening weird’  
‘That’s ok, we all need to rant now and again, plus I think this conversation might be one of the light moments of my evening’  
‘Sounds like you’re not going to have a nice evening’  
‘No I don’t think it’s going to be particularly pleasant for the next few hours at least, then again however bad my evening is going to be it will be worse for the person who’s sharing this bottle of wine with me’ Elinor looked blankly at Bernie ‘Your Mum is sat at the table underneath the TV when you feel that you’ve had enough to drink Elinor’ Bernie picked up the bottle of wine and left a shocked Elinor stood at the bar.

‘Here goes nothing’ Serena muttered as Elinor walked towards them, she felt Bernie squeeze her hand before letting it go as Elinor stood in front of them ‘Hi sweetheart, this is Bernie’  
‘Nice to meet you’ Bernie replied quickly before Elinor could comment about their exchange at the bar ‘Your Mum has told me so much about you’  
‘Well that’s advantage to you then Bernie’ Elinor spat out ‘because until last week I didn’t know you existed, the question is Mummy dearest if Dad hadn’t have rung me to tell me about her, when were you?, says a lot that the idiot cousin knows more about my mother than I do’  
‘Don’t call Jason an idiot Ellie just because you are pissed off with me, pissed off and drunk I should add’  
‘Like you care, you’ve clearly got your priorities sorted and they don’t include me anymore’  
‘Don’t be stupid Ellie you have always been important to me, always will be, you are my daughter’  
‘So why was I the last to know if I’m so important?’  
‘Maybe if you answered your phone to me or rang me back’  
‘So it’s my fault then?’  
‘No I’m not saying that, I can’t arrange to see you if you don’t answer your phone, or reply to my texts? Not that this was ever a conversation I wanted to have over the telephone’  
‘Excuses mum, all excuses, I’m used to Dad shitting on me from a great height, I suppose it was only time before you did it too’  
‘Don’t be so bloody childish’ Serena took a large swig of wine ‘it wasn’t like that at all’  
‘What was it like then Mum? All I know is that yet again big changes happen and I’m the last to know about it, for Christ sake even Dad knew’  
‘Only because we bumped into him whilst out with colleagues, I didn’t expect him to stoop so low, to contact you’  
‘After all these years he still surprises you? You can’t be that naïve when it comes to him? Explains why you gave him another chance a few years ago I suppose’  
‘I did ring you several times that evening and the following morning but you didn’t answer’  
‘I didn’t answer Dad’s call either; he was drunk so left an answer phone message’  
‘So I should have left a message? Saying what exactly? Hi Ellie, just thought you should know I bumped into your Dad last night whilst out with my girlfriend and friends, oh and to make the evening more fun he tried it on with her? Would that have worked?  
‘He did what? You are kidding me? Explains why he left the message, got turned down so had a sulk. Well it gives you a new topic of conversation when you are next in the same room, how to pull attractive blondes, I suppose I should be glad you haven’t thrown yourself at someone my age like Dad, sorry Bernie you must be bloody desperate if someone like you has to turn my mother in order to have sex, or a you a social fuck up too?’  
‘Ellie’ Serena snapped  
‘No it’s ok ….Elinor you’ve come here spoiling for a fight, I know that’  
‘You know fuck all, just because I was daft enough to talk to you at the bar doesn’t mean…’  
‘It doesn’t me anything I get that, you can spit whatever poison you want at me, and I’ve probably heard the same from my son & daughter’  
‘So I was right about you being a social fuck up’  
‘No one’s perfect, rather like this evening, perhaps when you grow up, stop sulking and think of how this has been for your mum we could try this again’  
‘Mum are you going to let her talk to me like that?’  
‘Yes I am, she’s only said what I was thinking, and I know you are hurt that you didn’t hear about my relationship with Bernie directly from me, I’m sorry about that, I really am. I am also sorry that you clearly have no sense of how difficult this has been for me, however confusing it is for you, it’s been a lot more confusing for me I can tell you, turning up half drunk tells me that any conversation we have is pointless and that your only intention was to turn up and shout. Now you have two options Elinor, you can sit there whilst Bernie & I finish our drinks or you can go and drown your sorrows somewhere else and give me a ring when you are ready to be an adult about this’  
‘Are you being serious?’  
‘Yes Elinor I am, I am happy, Bernie makes me happy, I am enjoying more to my life than just being at work, I’m not asking for you to understand or be happy, I am telling you that you will respect the choices I make. I love Bernie; you will be polite to her do I make myself clear?’  
Elinor looked at her mother then to Bernie ‘Enjoy the rest of your wine’ before downing her drink and leaving  
‘That went well’ Serena laughed  
‘You ok? Bernie took hold of her hand  
‘I am, surprisingly, she will come back at some point with her tail between her legs when she has had time to thing; she did something similar when she met Robbie for the first time’  
‘What if she doesn’t?  
‘Then she doesn’t, come on it’s not like we have the perfect relationship’  
‘Serena, I can’t’  
‘Can’t what?’ She leaned in and kissed her ‘I’m not asking you to do anything, this is Elinor’s problem to deal with, she will soon get bored of the child bride playing mummy so will have to make a choice at some point’ she topped up their glasses and then half drained her glass  
‘Well that confirms where Elinor got her ability to drain a wine glass from’ Bernie laughed  
‘I can down a whole bottle’  
‘Why doesn’t that surprise me?’  
‘You can ask Ric if you don’t believe me, anyway you made me a promise earlier’  
‘I did? You will have to remind me’ Bernie grinned  
‘Should have guessed you would have been all talk, typical squaddie’  
‘Didn’t hear you complaining about my words on the telephone last night’ Bernie whispered into her ear before kissing her neck ‘if I remember rightly my promise involved you in my arms’  
‘Well remembered Major, let’s go home and salvage some this evening’ Bernie stood up and held Serena’s coat for her to put on ‘my knight in shining armour’ Serena slipped her coat on  
‘Forever’ Bernie span Serena around and kissed her passionately ‘I’ve not got a white horse to transport you on but I know where to find a taxi’  
‘Smooth Bernie, very smooth, you sure know how to sweet talk a girl’  
‘Unlike last night I intend to do a lot more than sweet talk you, taxi now’  
‘Yes Major’ Serena saluted before slipping her hand into Bernie’s and heading towards the exit.

Ellie had sat watching her Mum & Bernie as they left; she was surprised by the silly grin that was on her mother’s face as well as the public kiss, something she had never seen her do before, usually she would bat away whoever was trying to kiss her. ‘Shit’ Ellie exclaimed into the air before downing her drink, she knew she had gone too far this time. Her Mum didn’t deserve this, she had spent too many years being unhappy, she had the right to have a relationship with whoever made her happy, she had always tolerated whoever her Dad introduced her to, why couldn’t she do the same for her mum? She had been rude to Robbie every time they had met and was happy when she heard that the relationship had finished, yet each time her Dad’s relationships were over she was not bothered. Suddenly it clicked, she was jealous of anyone who was close to her mum, jealous of Bernie, jealous of Jason and rather more alarmingly; she was jealous of her mum being happy.


	5. All I Want For Christmas Is You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be the first posted chapter, but thanks to my laptop having a pre Christmas meltdown and not getting it back till now posting got delayed as had no other copy of what I had written. Because of this I have had to make some small changes to the first chapter I posted so it fits with what I had written originally. I know its now January but please enjoy some pre Christmas Berena fluff

Serena stood watching her wife sleep, the signs of a busy night shift evident on her face, she felt bad for what she was about to do, but she knew it came with Bernie’s blessing, placing the mug of coffee on the bedside cabinet she bent down and placed a kiss to her forehead ‘Bernie, darling’ she placed one on her lips ‘I’m sorry it’s 11’ she kissed her again as a hand came from under the duvet and weaved into the brunettes hair, keeping her pressed to her lips and pulling her down onto the bed  
‘Waking up to kisses from you was worth being called in at 10 last night’  
‘It was gone 5 when you got in, you must be shattered?’ she kissed her again before handing the sleepy blonde the mug of coffee  
‘The joys of being on call, I’m fine honest, even more so when I have a few days and nights to curl up to you without interruptions’  
‘We can go Christmas shopping tomorrow instead?’  
‘Not on your life Mrs Wolfe, tomorrow we are lazing around perhaps in our pj’s and making use of the offspring’s being out for the day’  
‘Anyone would think you arranged on purpose for the girls to be at a spa and the boys at paintballing?  
‘Perhaps, either way we are not changing plans because I’ve been up all night fixing a geriatrics smashed hip, the prospect of a day Christmas shopping with you without having to rush or battle the crowds has kept me going all night, well more the promise of my body weight in mulled wine and not having to run around like a lunatic on Christmas eve. Oh and a trip to an expensive lingerie shop that my step-daughter jokingly claims I look like I model for to buy Christmas presents for us both to enjoy’  
‘Alcohol & sexy underwear; really’ Serena laughed ‘once a squaddie always a squaddie I suppose?’  
‘Not a fair comparison’ Bernie feigned hurt ‘who am I kidding that’s my perfect afternoon or evening with you, give me 20 minutes and I’ll be showered, changed and ready to go’ she looked at Serena noticing the tiredness in her eyes ‘You ok?’  
‘Yes, just spent most of the night tossing and turning without you snuggled up to me, I’ve got far to use to it the last few weeks, I know it’s pathetic’ she smiled weakly  
‘No I think it’s lovely, I do the same when you get called out’ she kissed her lips again, tried to deepen it but Serena pulled back and got off the bed  
‘Shower, Major, now, or the only alcohol and underwear you will be seeing is the Shiraz in the kitchen and the underwear I am wearing’  
‘You know me too well’ Bernie laughed  
‘Unfortunately’ Serena smiled as Bernie got out of bed and walked towards the en-suite  
‘Uncalled for’  
‘But true’

Serena laughed as Bernie wobbled and grabbed hold of her for the fourth time in a minute ‘you really are hopeless at this, never thought I would see the day that the great Bernie Wolfe couldn’t do something’ Bernie wobbled again and grabbed hold of the rail ‘even those 4 year olds are doing better’  
‘That’s because they’ve got something to hold on to, if you loved me you would let me have one of those penguin things too’ Bernie pouted  
‘Seriously’ Serena arched her eyebrow ‘I should be grateful we started this before any alcohol had been consumed or you might have ended up in your precious trauma unit before next week, you still might yet’  
‘You would just love that, me breaking a bone’ she poked her tongue out in Serena’s direction as Serena skated out of her reach  
‘Only if it was a leg you broke as an arm or two in plaster would ruin a lot more than Christmas for the pair of us’  
‘You are bad’ Bernie chuckled  
‘No just truthful, now if you want something to hold on to, I suggest you catch me up’ Serena grinned  
‘I take it back, you are not bad, you are positively wicked’ she cautiously let go of where she was holding on and shuffled to where Serena was, clutched her hand & looped her arm through her wife’s  
‘I believe that is why you love me’  
‘Well I love your mouth when it’s doing other things but talk to me’  
‘You are on thin ice solider’  
‘I know that’ she grinned ‘trying not to fall on my face, or yours’  
‘Now who’s being wicked?’ Serena winked as Bernie realised the double meaning in her last comment  
‘I have to get some pleasure whilst doing this, as the smirk that has been plastered on your face since the moment we started this is telling me you are loving that I can’t do this especially as it was my idea’

‘Have you finished sulking yet?’ Serena asked as she handed over a glass of wine  
‘I’m not sulking’  
‘Tell that to your face, come on it’s only me, you and a bunch of 4 year olds that know, it’s not like the entire hospital were stood there watching, I won’t tell anyone’  
‘Serena, I know you too well, the urge to mention it will be too great when we have a professional disagreement and you want to me to back down’  
‘Well, I couldn’t promise it wouldn’t slip out, knowing my big macho army medic isn’t perfect at everything is a powerful tool, luckily for you being good at ice skating isn’t a skill required to be a brilliantly fantastic trauma surgeon’  
‘Keep talking fräulein….’ Bernie flicked her eyes to Serena’s locking gazes  
‘Need an ego massage do we? Not being able to do something kids can put a dampener on your afternoon? We can blame sleep deprivation if you want?’  
‘I’m sure I can use this as evidence in a divorce court, mental cruelty or something’  
‘Married for less than 3 weeks and I’m getting divorce threats’  
‘Slipped your mind that you made them on our wedding day, just because I was about to make a speech that you knew nothing about’  
‘You sprung a surprise on me; you know I don’t like not being in control’  
‘Now Serena I know that’s not always true’ she reached and stroked the cheek of the brunette next to her ‘we are equals after all’  
‘In theatre, on the ward, in bed, but not when it comes to intoxication levels, that mulled wine post ice skating appears to have hit you quicker than normal, that is due to lack of sleep’  
‘I prefer lack of sleep to lack of time with you’ she kissed her possessively slipping her hands under the hem of Serena’s jumper, make contact with her skin  
‘Bloody hell your hands are freezing’ she pulled Bernie’s hands away  
‘They aren’t that bad’ she laughed as she was met with a disagreeing eyebrow arch ‘well how can I sit here and not touch when you are there looking completely gorgeous’  
‘Poor circulation, sleep deprived, intoxicated and frisky; sounds like the dwarves Disney forgot to draw, rather than a very accurate description of you right now’  
‘I prefer slightly tipsy due to limited sleep and cold hands because I left my gloves on the side of the kitchen’  
‘And the frisky bit?’ that eyebrow lifted again with a smile  
‘Could blame the lack of sleep and the mulled wine, but that would be lies, that last bit of shopping was the prime culprit, not that I particularly want an excuse’  
‘You sure you don’t want to blame the alcohol?’ Serena’s eyebrow was still unconvinced  
‘Even if I had been fully awake and stone cold sober there is no way I would have passed up an opportunity such as that when it’s handed to me on a plate’ Bernie tried the hurt look she had given Serena when she had woken her  
‘Don’t play the innocent; you knew exactly what you were going to do when you stepped into that changing room cubicle’  
‘You didn’t seem to mind at the time, anyway you were the one who wasn’t sure about any of those delightful slips & nighties you were trying on and it was not my fault when the lovely girl in the changing room wasn’t clever enough to figure out that our wedding rings could mean we are married to each other, rather than being married to two men’ she smiled happily  
‘Well my darling that thought didn’t cross her mind, especially as you buggered off to pay, then came back asking if the lady you had entered the changing room with had left yet. If you referred to me as your wife, she wouldn’t have suggested you entered the cubicle when I said I wasn’t sure’  
‘Good job I chose my words carefully then or you would have left those wonderful garments in the shop, not that you are a Christmas present that needs any wrapping on it’ her contented smile widened  
‘More well-chosen words, those earlier were well planned, I would say that ‘it’s her first married Christmas, she’s looking to impress’ helped that poor girl confirm only the social norm, or was it the big headed ‘to be honest she still can’t believe who she is in a relationship even after three years’ that blind-sided her?’  
‘That was a genius line, probably my winning line to be honest’ Bernie laughed ‘You didn’t speak up either, when she suggested that your friend could step in an give her opinion if you wanted it’  
‘I would have if I had thought that you would use the opportunity to become a sex pest the moment the door closed’  
‘Again no protest slipped from lips, the noise that slipped from those kissable lips was definitely one I’ve heard you make many times before, one that told me you were more than enjoying me copping a good feel of my wife’  
‘Pure romance’ Serena exclaimed  
‘Romance I can do; how about we forget our dinner plans, knock this wine back quickly and head home to make use of an empty house before Jason gets home from work?’  
‘That is possibly the second best idea you have had today’  
‘Only the second; what was the first?’  
‘Take the opportunity to sneak into the changing room’ she laughed at the smug expression that was now fixed on Bernie’s face  
‘See I was right, you enjoyed every moment of my antics’

‘Bloody typical’ Bernie muttered as the bus pulled away from the stop and headed away from them  
‘Won’t be long till the next one, if you had not taken so long in the toilet we might have stood a chance of getting it, what were you doing in there, you were ages’  
‘Um….I may have dozed off’  
‘Seriously’ Serena laughed  
‘Some of us were working last night; you always end up flopping on the sofa all day dozing if you’ve been called out, so a bit of slack please my darling’  
‘You had better not fall asleep on me later; until we are officially back at work we are on technically still on our honeymoon’  
‘When have I ever fallen asleep during that?’ Bernie asked as they stopped at the bus stop ‘falling asleep waiting for you to come to bed does not count, I can’t be blamed that our marital bed is far too comfortable and cosy that I succumb to sleep before the delights of your body’  
‘Changing the rules in your favour are we?’  
Bernie put the shopping bags down at Serena’s feet before moving behind her and wrapping her arms around her waist ‘No just making sure some situations aren’t used against me, I’m thinking takeaway, wine, movie and curl up on the sofa this evening, then if I need to doze I’m in the perfect place’  
‘Cheek, sounds heavenly though, hang on isn’t Cam coming round this evening?’  
‘Yes to eat pizza & play computer games with Jason, not to see me’  
‘I had better be getting more than pizza to eat, especially as I’ve given up a romantic meal’  
‘No pizza for you, maybe Italian, Thai, Indian, Chinese, whatever takes you fancy, if the boys want something other than pizza that fine too, although Jason will have already got his evening planned with pizza for tea, Cam will eat whatever’s going’  
‘Bit like his mother then’  
‘Why let anything go to waste, I do like that they spend time together, they are more like brothers than the step-cousins they technically are’  
‘I know what you mean, whatever the legalities are, all four of them are siblings more than anything else, no different treatment, they come us a package, our family is far from traditional but what we have is perfect for us and everyone loves, cares & respects each other regardless of blood’  
‘There are biological/traditional families that don’t have that’  
‘Think we all have experience of that, I can’t help but wonder sometimes what life may have been like for Jason if he had what he’s got know from a younger age, what help I could have been if I had known about my half-sister and him before my mother’s death’  
‘That’s something that we will forever wonder, all I know is you have done nothing but the best for him since you knew about him, we all do the best for him, the kids spend time with him & include him because they want to, not because they have to or feel that they should’  
‘Despite all the individual problems with had with each of them, they’ve all matured rather well’  
‘Can’t help but love and feel proud of them for it’ Bernie slipped her hands into Serena’s coat pockets  
‘Bernie, what are you doing, your hands are even colder than they were earlier’  
‘Hence why I’m warming them up, don’t want you moaning about my cold hands on you when we get home and lose precious time warming them up, no harm in getting a head start’ she began to stroke her hips through her coat  
‘Another genius idea, lack of sleep is working in your favour, unlike the bus timetable’  
‘Oh I don’t know, it’s looking favourable at this exact moment’ she began to plant kisses to the back of Serena’s neck whilst pulling her hips closer to her’  
‘Thought you were warming your hands, not becoming a sex pest again’  
‘You can’t blame a girl for trying’  
‘You’ve been very trying all day’  
‘It’s Christmas and all I want for Christmas is you’  
‘That’s a new excuse, probably the cheesiest one yet’  
‘My new favourite of the day’ Bernie laughed and nipped at Serena’s neck  
‘If you are not careful you will end up having an early night in bed on your own, now stop being a vampire and leave my neck alone’  
‘Spoil sport’ Bernie took her hands out of Serena’s pockets, unwrapped herself from around her and stood by her side  
Serena turned to look at her, missing the contact instantly yet unable not to smile and raise an eyebrow at the expression on her wife’s face  
‘You look like a sulking four year old, keep that pout up and Santa won’t come’  
‘I’m not bothered if Santa comes or not, you however is a different matter’ she giggled  
‘I give up’ Serena sighed 

Bernie smiled and shook her head in disbelief at the sight of Serena asleep on the sofa as she came into the lounge from the kitchen carrying wine & glasses; she placed them on the coffee table by Serena, yelping as a hand grabbed her ankle ‘Jeez fräulein, I thought you were asleep’  
‘Why would I be asleep when I knew the Shiraz fairy was due to return? How long does it really take to pick up a bottle of wine and some glasses?’  
‘Got delayed ordering takeaway, Cam and Jason have gone to collect, Chinese ok? Thought it was easier as next door to Dominos where they have ordered enough to feed a small country’  
‘Wise plan, now what was that plan that was abandoned due to eldest offspring being sat on the sofa earlier, oh yes; give us a cuddle Mrs Wolfe’  
‘With pleasure’ Bernie climbed onto the sofa, straddling Serena’s hips before resting her head on her shoulder as arms enveloped her into a hug ‘just perfect’  
‘If only we could stay like this forever rather than go back to work in a few days’ Serena kissed Bernie’s forehead  
‘You’ve had nearly 3 weeks off’  
‘And what heavenly weeks they have been, ok the first week was a bit hectic, a bit stressful until the Saturday morning’  
‘Only from the Saturday; I am offended’ Bernie laughed  
‘Don’t twist my words, you know that our wedding day was wonderful, well more than that, we did what we wanted, how we wanted it, on the day we wanted and it could not have been more perfect, but it was nice waking up with you on that Saturday morning knowing we had had the most magical day’  
‘I’m glad we were able to get the time off before the big day, we would have been far to stressed trying to work as well as sort the last few things, meant we were nice and relaxed for 10 days in the sun too, although I have to say I have enjoyed the last few days of lazing around the house with you, getting things sorted for our first official family Christmas, can’t remember even being this organised with 19 days left to go’  
‘How will you cope without dashing off from work on Christmas Eve with an hours shopping time to do everything’  
‘I’m sure I will find something I forgot, I was distracted far too often the afternoon’  
‘You had a busy night’  
‘Busy night and a very beautiful shopping companion, I would happily stay up all week in exchange for not being on call on New Year’s Eve, have you forgiven me for swapping?’  
‘I was ready to kill Henrik about midnight when you rang from theatre for his suggestion to orthopaedics that they ask you to cover their on call so they could all go to their Christmas party, but then I remembered that he advised them what exactly to offer as a swap so that they wouldn’t end up being killed by me, which put him back in my good books even though it interrupted our last few days together’  
‘With logic like that you can see why he is CEO’  
‘Just watch AAU be abnormally empty now’  
Bernie laughed ‘More than likely, why we are even discussing work when we have an empty house I don’t know?’  
‘Me either, I know a lot more fun things, we are newlyweds after all’  
‘As if we have ever needed reason or excuse before’ Bernie remarked as she began covering Serena’s neck with kisses  
‘The bus stop vampire has returned’

‘How do you know that I’m not wearing the same bra I had on this morning, just by having your hands up my jumper’ Bernie laughed breathlessly as she pulled herself backup to straddle Serena’s hips  
‘Because my darling, you walked into the kitchen saying you were ready whilst still pulling your jumper on’ she exhaled deeply trying to regulate her breathing  
‘Had a good look did you?’  
‘I’m allowed, you had that that sexy yet rather practical purple racing back one on, the same one you had no problem in me watching you put on last night when you were called out, that one I have just felt is rather lacy and if I looked is probably not purple’  
‘Nothing gets past you’ she smiled as Serena shook her head ‘I dashed out of the changing rooms and didn’t wait for you as that something caught my eye that I thought would be a nice surprise for my wife, I didn’t fall asleep in the toilet either’ she laughed as Serena’s eyebrow raised ‘I was so long in there as I took the opportunity to change into what you have just felt’  
‘Lucky me’ Serena’s grinned matched Bernie’s as her hands disappeared back under Bernie’s jumper ‘Hence why you were less than impressed to find your son sat here wanted to spend some time with his mother’  
‘Can you blame me, the whole world seems to be against my plan to seduce my wife, should have guessed when the phone rang last night that…’  
Serena cut Bernie’s words off by pulling her down into a searing kiss  
They broke apart a few minutes later when Bernie sat up to allow Serena to remove her jumper to view what she was concealing underneath, smiling as hands made contact with the hemline  
‘Are you trying to traumatise us?’  
Heads shot above the sofa to where the voice had come from, hands dropping from the jumper  
‘Be a good boy and piss off’ Serena snapped at her step-son, joking yet irritated by the interruption  
‘Try getting a room’  
‘Funny Cameron, we did that last year when we bought this house, our error was giving you lot the address and keys’ Bernie replied getting off Serena’s lap ‘Couldn’t you have found a longer route back’  
‘And get in the way of Jason and his stomach? Sorry that beats any hunger you may have for your wife Madre’ he placed their takeaway down on the coffee table and sat on the arm chair  
‘You really are a cheeky sod’  
‘I suppose I should be glad I walked in then rather than a few minutes later’  
‘I would have been glad if it had been 20 minutes later’ Bernie walked towards the kitchen  
‘Next time order from the furthest edge of the city’ Serena laughed as she sat up  
‘At least disturbing you two is as embarrassing as you can get for us, unlike my father and his antics, far more embarrassing. If I ever take my half sibling for a walk people will think it’s my child; do I look mature enough to be a parent’  
‘You don’t look mature enough to be a doctor Cam but you don’t let that stop you’ Bernie shouted from the kitchen  
‘Funny mother, I think not’  
‘You’re not really that annoyed still by your dad’s news are you?’ Bernie asked as she came back in with plates and forks  
‘I never was to be honest, it was a shock yes, what annoyed me was him deciding to tell us the day before your wedding, as if he was trying to steal your glory, as if he thought ‘the ex-wife is marrying her girlfriend what can I do to put the attention back on me; oh yeah don’t tell my children that my 40 year old girlfriend is pregnant until the day before the wedding’ even daddy’s girl Charlotte wasn’t fooled by the we waited till 22 weeks in case something went wrong line’  
‘Cameron; are you coming to play call of duty or staying sat there’ Jason asked as he appeared in the hall doorway  
‘Sorry Jason, I had to split this pair up so that they could eat food rather than each other’  
‘Again’  
‘Yes again’ Cam laughed as followed Jason towards the kitchen ‘at least we will be safe in the conservatory from being forced to watch’  
‘I’m asking Santa for bolts and dead locks’ Bernie shouted  
‘We heard that’ Cam and Jason replied as they disappeared  
‘You were supposed to’ she shot back  
‘There was me thinking that all you wanted for Christmas was me’ Serena teased  
‘It is but you are a Christmas present I don’t want to wait 19 days to unwrap’  
‘Who says you do?’


	6. Happy Together

Laughter rang through the living room of the Campbell/Wolfe household as Cameron set about tickling his sister as she let more secrets about their previous night’s antics slip, Bernie smiled at her children, knowing she had very nearly missed these blissful moments in life. Family Sundays had become a regular fixture in all their lives since all fractured relationships on both sides had been repaired, what had surprised Bernie was how quickly and easily Cameron, Charlotte and Elinor’s friendship had changed into a sibling like bond. They had formed a tight unit and always including Jason in plans, by the sounds of it all four of them had enjoyed every moment of a raucous night out, judging by the stories that were being shared and the noise they made tumbling in at three am.   
Enough noise to disturb Bernie and Serena from sleep and make the latter question why they had thought it clever when they bought their new home to make sure all offspring had a room to call their own, not that they would have took much disturbing as they had only succumb to sleep an hour earlier after enjoying a rare undisturbed evening together in the house, a relaxed evening of eating too much takeaway, drinking too much wine and getting too carried away on the sofa as no one was there to walk in on them.  
‘Am I going to have to physically split you apart like when you were small?’ Bernie asked as Cameron and Charlotte wrestled each other to the floor, knocking sofa cushions with them  
‘Have they always been like this?’ Elinor asked between laughs  
‘This is tame; as teenagers they were worse’  
‘Talking of teenagers’ Cam chuckled as he stopped wrestling his sister and reached for the item that had been hidden by the now displaced cushions but was still not visible to the rest of the family ‘Were you two doing your best impressions of hormonal teenagers on that sofa again last night whilst the children were out?’ he held the item aloft, revealing one of Serena’s silk cami-tops  
‘I wondered where that had gone’ Serena laughed ‘Although I wasn’t wearing that yesterday’  
‘You two are ridiculous’ Elinor laughed   
‘Top surgeons, complete professionals by day, sex maniacs high on teenage hormones by night’ added Charlotte laughing as Serena took the top from Cam  
‘Hormones curtesy of a pill bottle these days in my case’  
‘You should get your dose lowered Mum’ Ellie giggled  
‘Don’t you dare’ Bernie shot back quickly, causing more laughter from Cam, Charlotte, Ellie and Jason  
‘Anyway it’s our house, we can do whatever we want wherever we want to, especially without any of you four under our feet’  
‘Or in the kitchen with your head in the fridge, three of you don’t technically live here but I bet that fridge feeds you more than your own’   
‘The basic rule when visiting parent’s mother’ Charlotte smiled ‘why eat at home before leaving as they will always feed you’  
‘How on earth do you two manage to behave when left alone at work?’  
‘Badly Ellie’ Cam remarked ‘it’s very, very obvious that they are desperate to be in each other’s personal space, you won’t see any other colleagues stood quite as closely as they do, unless they have had an argument or in Mum’s case….’  
‘Cameron Dunn, you can stop that line of conversation or I will be up on Keller tomorrow telling your colleagues interesting stories about you’  
‘I’m only messing, jeez as if I would tell them all how grouchy you were when Serena was off sick, it was obvious to everyone just why you were in such a mood’ he smirked  
‘You can really go off some people, even though you gave birth to them’  
‘So it wasn’t because you were doing the work of two consultants then? Serena joined in the teasing  
‘Don’t you start’ Bernie poked her tongue out ‘It was your fault I was in the mood’  
‘Technically it was my internal organs, well one in particular, trust me I would have happily swapped with what happened for a happy Bernie, you were a nightmare here so I can only imagine what you were like at work, although watching you squirm it your seat whilst the topic of abstaining was discussed made up for all the grumpiness’  
‘Discussed by our colleagues no less’  
‘As if that could be avoided; the downside of being a doctor in a hospital and falling ill where you work is that 9 times out of 10 it will be a colleague that sorts it, life is never that lucky that it happens when there is a locum about’  
‘True, now who wants a drink’ Bernie asked heading to the kitchen before anyone could answer

 

‘Come on sweetheart, the movie will be starting soon’ Serena called not knowing that Bernie had just entered from the kitchen ‘what?’ she asked noticing the grins on the four sat around her ‘and you say we are the soppy element, anyone would think you hadn’t heard me call her that before’  
‘I don’t think that’s what they are smiling about’ Bernie smiled as Serena turned and looked over the sofa toward the kitchen, seeing her stood there holding a bunch of red roses  
‘Yes that would be the reason they are grinning’ she laughed ‘thought you had gone to get drinks?’  
‘All in good time fräulein’ Bernie approached the sofa and handed the roses to Serena ‘I hope there will be a grin on your face soon too’ she dropped down on one knee and held out a ring box that had been hidden behind her back, ignoring the excitable yelps from Ellie & Charlotte   
‘Serena, I love you so much, you are beautiful, caring, fierce, slightly scary at times but always unbelievably sexy, I still can’t believe that I spend every moment of life with you, the last few years have been wonderful, things haven’t always been perfect or stress free but I wouldn’t change one single moment. I know today isn’t our anniversary, but it is the third anniversary of when we met, I remember seeing this gorgeous creature shouting at a mechanic down the phone who instantly made my heart flutter. I was so lucky that you kept appearing at the exact moment I needed a friendly face, as time went on we became pretty inseparable and fell for each other, without either of us really knowing how we got to that point. I so nearly ruined this fabulous thing before it began and I know that I was very lucky on my return to be forgiven for all the pain I had caused you, I cannot imagine sharing the rest of my life with anyone but you; you are my in my thoughts every moment I am awake and in my dreams when I sleep, being able to call you my girlfriend is a pleasure, being able to call your my wife would be an honour, Serena will you marry me?’  
‘Yes’ Serena exhaled the breath she had been holding as tears flowed down her face ‘Yes I will marry you’ she grinned as Bernie slipped the ring onto her finger, before jumping up and pulling Serena to her feet   
‘Thank you’ Bernie whispered as she wiped the tear tracks on Serena’s face before hugging her tightly  
‘I’ll get the champagne out the garage’ Charlotte said as Bernie & Serena shared kisses ‘Jason can you get the glasses you cleaned yesterday’  
‘Wait a minute, you all knew about this; hence the ridiculous grins and wanting to stay again tonight?’  
‘Guilty as charged mother, Bernie asked for my permission, not that she needed it, but it was appreciated and of course my answer was a lot politer than it would have been last year’  
‘I wouldn’t have asked you for permission last year, I’m daft but not that daft’  
‘Good job I got ill then’ Serena laughed  
‘Drastic measures my darling, ones that I would prefer to avoid’  
‘Me too’ Serena smiled as she hugged Ellie and Cameron hugged Bernie before swapping mothers to hug’  
‘You had better text Dom Mum and put him out of misery, he’s probably pacing thinking that you got cold feet and no doubt will be driving Morven up the wall’  
‘No cold feet for once here Cam, I’ve got a better idea, let me get my phone’ 

‘How’s that for an announcement?’ Bernie smiled proudly as her handed Serena her phone to show her what she had been doing for the last few minutes as they sat drinking champagne  
‘Classy Ms Wolfe’ she smiled ‘it’s actually quite cute too’ she looked back at the Instagram picture of her hand and diamond ring ‘Just another quiet Sunday in the Campbell/Wolfe household #shesaidyes #gettingmyselfawife’ she read out then turned the phone round so everyone could see  
‘That’s sweet mum’ Charlotte smiled ‘Very modern, can we let the news out too?’  
‘Go for it, the four most important people we would have wanted to tell before the news went public are all sat here, I wouldn’t have wanted it to be any other way’  
‘Who are you and what have you done with the real Bernie Wolfe; have you been taking soppy pills?’  
‘Nope, just in love with a beautiful woman who has agreed to marry me and we have our family around us, what more could I want from life, actually there is one thing?’  
‘What’s that? Serena looked up from where she had settle against Bernie’s shoulder and reached up to stroke her cheek ‘we have the most perfect moment with our unconventional family yet you still want more?; some people may think that is a tad greedy’  
‘All I wanted was a kiss’ Bernie grinned  
‘Well that I can help with’ she giggled before kissing Bernie   
‘Perfect photo sis’ Cam smiled as her looked over Charlotte’s shoulder as she finished publishing the photo, the sounds of notifications bleeping on the phones of those in the room causing Bernie and Serena to pull apart and Bernie look at her phone ‘seems soppy is well and truly affect the Wolfe gene this afternoon’ he kissed Charlotte’s head  
‘Could not have put it better’ Ellie added ‘That’s going on my Facebook wall straight away’  
‘Do you mean what you’ve written?’ Bernie showed Serena what Charlotte had written  
‘Charlotte that’s lovely, I can’t wait to be able to call you my daughter officially either’ Serena laughed as Bernie’s phone alerted her to Elinor’s post ‘Bernie’s ego will go through the roof now Ellie, #mymumsmarryingahottie #mystepmumisfitterthanyours’ she handed the phone to Bernie, who smiled the rest of the post  
‘Personally I think happymumma is the best tag on there, mummaandfuturemumma being a close second’  
‘The joy of marriage proposals in the modern world’ Serena picked her ringing phone of the floor and flashed the display to Bernie ‘Ellie darling is your Dad friends with you on Facebook?’ she nodded ‘explains this phone call then’  
‘Oh Mum, I didn’t think, shall I speak to him?’  
‘No its fine, not even his poison could upset me today’ Serena got up and walked towards the kitchen ‘Edward, what do I owe the pleasure?’ she asked cheerily, knowing exactly why he was calling’  
‘I believe congratulations are in order; Blondie proposed and you’ve said yes?’ Edward had referred to Bernie as Blondie ever since the night they first met  
‘Your information is correct, is stalking your daughters Facebook all you have to do on a Sunday afternoon?’  
‘Serena, I’m not ringing to be difficult or score points, I rang to say congratulations, and I am happy for you and Blondie; I am happy that you are happy’  
‘Have you been drinking? Serena was untrusting of her ex-husbands words  
‘I am stone cold sober, I been in theatre for the last two hours, I wanted to say how sorry I am for that rotten stunt I pulled when I found out about your relationship, I had no right to tell Elinor, that was something that for you to do, I suppose I just can’t rejection from pretty women, you think I would be used to it’  
‘Well it’s all in the past’ she smiled knowing the he was talking truthfully now  
‘I know, but I still needed to apologise, I owe you many more apologies, decades late I know’ he sighed ‘look I’ll let you get back to your celebrations’  
‘Edward, are you ok?’ she had never heard him sound so sincere, naturally it unnerved her  
‘Yes I am perfectly ok, just thought it was time to build some bridges, you look so happy in that picture, you both do, please pass on my congratulations to Blondie, my apology too, tell Ellie I will ring her during the week’  
‘I will, bye Edward’ she looked baffled at her phone after he hung up, not quite sure what had happened during that phone call, a smile formed as she felt arms slip around her waist  
‘You ok sweetheart?’  
‘Yes, just a bit shocked, Edward rang to congratulate us, that and to apologise for the trouble he caused us’  
‘What; is he pissed or ill?’  
‘Neither apparently, he said he was glad I was happy, that we were happy, he apologised for his behaviour during our marriage too, I’ve never heard him sound so sincere’  
‘That was big of him, I’m glad he hasn’t soured the afternoon, I am glad you are happy too’  
‘My happiness is because of you and I wouldn’t want it any other way, as you said it hasn’t always been rosy, looking back I can say it was worth all the pain, however difficult it was at the time, however much heartbreak, I love you Berenice Wolfe and I cannot wait to become Mrs Wolfe’  
‘You want to take my name?’ Bernie was surprised  
‘Yes, Campbell might be the name I have built my professional reputation on but it’s Edward’s name, personally it symbolises the past, the betrayal, humiliation, why would I want to hold on to it when I marry you, I don’t mind staying Ms Campbell at work; but I want to be Mrs Wolfe every second we are out of there, when it’s us being us’ Serena turned round in Bernie’s arms  
‘Well if we both went by the same name at work it would cause plenty of confusion, so that is a suggestion I could more than live with’ she smiled before kissing Serena  
‘Talking of suggestions you can live with, how about we turn a certain date in November into our wedding anniversary?’  
‘Next November? Yes that’s a good idea’  
‘No Bernie, I mean this November, let’s turn our third anniversary into our wedding day, as much as I don’t want till wait till next year I will if we can’t marry this one. I want the day we finally got together to be our wedding day and anniversary forever, it’s such a pivotal date to our relationship, like today is, which is why you chose to propose to me today’  
‘I had better make sure I finish that stash of chocolate I have, my pre-wedding diet starts tomorrow, along with the wedding planning’ Bernie grinned before Serena threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly.


	7. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because a certain persons birthday could not be ignored

Bernie stretched and yawned as she walked back across AAU towards their office, her back protesting from two hours in theatre and two nights sleeping on the sofa at her flat, the first night happened by chance as she dozed off watching television, but last night she chose to sleep there, reluctant to be in her bed alone as it didn’t feel right sleeping without Serena anymore, they had only been together few months and had spent very few nights apart since her return from Kiev, she was not looking forward to a third night alone. In bed wasn’t the only place she was missing Serena, the last two days at work had been strange too, usually if they were on different shifts, not uncommon for a Saturday, they would meet afterwards and spend the night wrapped in each other’s arms making love, sharing stories or just being content to curl up together, there was no denying it; Bernie Wolfe had fallen hard for Serena Campbell and now all she wanted on her birthday was her girlfriend in front of her, not 50 miles away at a conference with Ric Griffin and not due back till tomorrow evening.  
‘You Ms Wolfe are late’  
Bernie looked up as she entered the office ‘Late for what Raf?’ she was baffled ‘and why are you holding those?’  
‘These are for you’ he handed her the roses he had been holding ‘You have to read the card to find out your next instruction’ Raf grinned as Bernie torn it open  
‘You have a key for me?’  
‘That I do, Serena said in her locker you will find all you need for this evening, along with the postcode to where you need to be, have a nice evening and Happy Birthday’ he kissed her cheek and handed her the key.

Opening Serena’s locker felt wrong even though she had the key and was desperate to find out what the evening had instore, she smiled at the note telling her to get changed attached to her emerald green silk dress, the one Serena had commented on a few weeks earlier, made her try on for no reason, well no reason known to Bernie at the time, it was now all becoming clear; Ms Campbell had been planning this for some time.  
Taking her dress out of the locker she found a small suitcase and a bottle of champagne tucked behind it, along with her black high heels that Serena liked to see her wear, attached to the case was another note, one telling her to look inside. She rushed to put her case on the side and fumbled with the zip as she opened it, finding new expensive lacy underwear matching the colour of her dress and a matching silk nightie, her hair dryer and toiletries and another note asking her to text when ready and on her way and the address of where to head when ready. Bernie couldn’t do anything but grin, what had been a mundane birthday moping about without Serena had now turned into the most unforgettable one ever, not being able to hold out another 20 minutes to find out where she was heading she typed the postcode into her phone, finding herself not completely surprised when the screen showed the hotel she knew Serena was staying in 50 miles away. It’s fair to say that Serena Campbell is a romantic, however differently she may protest.

‘You looking stunning, happy birthday’ Ric smiled as he took the roses & champagne bottle from Bernie and gave her a glass of champagne before taking her case from her ‘you will find the rest of that bottle waiting for you in the restaurant, along with a dinner companion who says she really fancies you’ he noticed her cheeks blush ‘I’ll let you in to a little secret; she’s missed you very much’  
‘I’ve missed her too, how I survived 8 weeks in a different country I don’t know’  
‘Difference is now you know exactly what you are missing out on; she told me a few weeks before you left for Kiev that you were failing for each other, I’m very glad you sorting things out and that I didn’t have to arrange a transfer’  
‘You and me both’ Bernie grinned  
‘Now go find your girl and enjoy your evening together, I will take your things up to your room and put the bottle to chill in the waiting ice bucket, tell Serena I will see her next week’  
‘Next week?’ Bernie was confused ‘What about tomorrow at the conference’  
‘The conference finished a few hours ago, Serena persuaded me to authorise a day of annual leave for you tomorrow, whilst your favourite acting CEO covers AAU for you, in order for you to enjoy your birthday together, it’s not right when the birthday girl has to work all weekend’  
‘Thank you’  
‘Don’t thank me, thank her, although I’m sure you will find some way to do that, I’ll leave the other key on the side in the room once I’ve sorted all this, restaurant is that way’ Ric pointed before leaving Bernie alone in the reception of the hotel, still slightly amazed by what had so far unfolded this evening. 

Taking a long sip from the glass Bernie walked towards the restaurant, she was desperate for a glimpse of Serena, to prove this was not a dream, that she everything so far this evening had happened, even down to the acting CEO taking her bags with a knowing glint in his eye, she quickly scanned the room as she entered, no sign anywhere  
‘Can I help you?’ a voice asked from behind her  
‘Yes, I was supposed to meeting someone but I can’t see her anywhere’  
‘Is it Ms Campbell you are after?’  
‘Yes, how did you know?’  
‘Her description of you is perfect, if it had not have been the green dress would have been enough of a clue, would you like to follow me’  
‘Thank you’ Bernie smiled and followed the waiter towards an area at the back of the restaurant where several booths were located, her smile growing when her eyes made contact with Serena’s, her stomach fluttering with anticipation confirming she had missed her lover far more than she thought, her heart rate increasing when Serena stood and approached her  
‘You look sensational’ Serena grinned proudly before kissing her chastely ‘Happy Birthday my darling’ she squeezed her free hand  
‘I can’t believe you’ve done all this, gone to all this trouble, how am I ever going to top this over the years’  
‘As long as we are together anything will top it’ she said as they sat down ‘I just made use of what resources were to hand, as soon as I realised this blasted conference was on your birthday and couldn’t get out of it I put this plan in to action, with some help from my friends’  
‘now at least I understand why Jason was so happy to go to Alan’s for the week, I was beginning to think he no longer liked me or you didn’t trust me in your house unsupervised’  
‘Well it would have been interesting to see if the house faired any better than the office did’ they both laughed ‘Jason would have happily stayed at home with you but some bribery with a new computer game got him to agree without having to tell him all my plans’  
‘Clever Auntie Serena; how did you get my dress out of my flat, the one you made you model for you a few weeks ago’  
‘Cameron helped with that one, him and Jason got it last week, the evening Fletch, Raf and the kids came round for pizza, the real reason we didn’t get it delivered, the boys took your keys & put them back without you even noticing’  
‘Is that any wonder I didn’t notice, you spent most of the time they were gone whispering things in my ear whilst I was playing board games with Mikey, he kept telling you off for distracting the blonde job’  
‘Well I had to make sure you didn’t notice that 20 mins to collect pizza and actually tuned into 45 minutes, if not distracted you would have no doubt gone looking for your keys and driven to get the pizza yourself, so between Mikey and me the blonde job was well and truly distracted’  
‘I am always distracted by you Serena when not got anything to concentrate on, thank you, I don’t think anyone has ever made quite the effort for a birthday, my 40th and 50th I was on tour, my 30th I did nothing; Charlotte was only a few months old, Marcus was on nights and Cam had rotavirus’  
‘Our 60th birthdays will have to be off the scale, I’m sure with 8 years of planning we can come up with something to top the glamour of that one’  
The waiter smiled as he returned with dessert and noticed them sat together on the brunettes side of the booth, he had wondered just how long they be able to resist the urge to be close to one another, the electricity between them was visible to anyone who glanced there way  
‘We didn’t order anything’ Serena enquired as a try containing a platter of fruit, liquid chocolate, marshmallows, sweets, shortbread, ice cream and two more glasses of champagne were placed in front of them  
‘No birthday is complete without cake, it comes compliments of our chef; he said you saved his life 10 years ago in Afghanistan after he got a wound to the stomach, he also said to say that even wearing a different shade of green you were very easy to recognise when he came of the kitchen earlier’  
‘How very kind of him, please say thank you and ask him to come over when he has a few minutes to spare’ Bernie smiled  
‘I will’ the waiter made his exit  
‘How wonderful is that’ Serena commented  
‘Very, let’s just hope I recognise them when they come over’  
‘I am sure they will understand if you don’t, you have patched up a lot of war wounds over the years’  
‘I know, but if he has remembered me I will feel bad if I don’t remember him, you hate it when people stop you when out and you can’t remember them’  
‘Don’t torture yourself for now, let us enjoy this and they complement the chef’ she picked up a strawberry, dipped it in chocolate and offered it to Bernie  
‘Don’t start something you cannot finish here Serena’ Bernie grinned as she put her mouth around the strawberry, making sure she caught her fingers with her lips  
‘Playing dirty as per normal Berenice?’  
‘Well it is my birthday’ she looked up through her fringe, knowing the effect it would have  
‘You are such a temptress’  
‘I’m just sat here eating my dessert’ she flirted back, knowing the look of lust in her lover’s eyes was reflected in hers  
‘Don’t you just look the picture of innocence, fluttering your eyelashes through that fringe?’  
‘You never had a problem with me doing it before’  
‘Did I say I had a problem with it?’ Serena’s hand brushed Bernie’s cheek ‘What I have a problem with is you sitting there, in that fabulous dress’ she leant forward and kissed her ‘looking more edible than any dessert I have ever seen’  
‘I had the assistance of my own personal dresser this evening, chose everything for me’  
‘Remind me to thank them’  
‘Thanking them is a task I won’t be needing assistance with’ she grinned before slipping another strawberry into her mouth 

‘Sorry to interrupt your evening ladies’ their eyes shot up to the voice  
‘Tony……oh my goodness, how are you?’ Bernie was on her feet and hugging the man in front of her  
‘And there was you wondering if you would know who it was’ Serena chuckled as she dipped a marshmallow in the warm chocolate  
‘Thank you darling, Tony this is Serena, my girlfriend’  
‘Pleasure to meet you Serena’  
‘Likewise, the food was amazing thank you, are you free to join us for a bit’  
‘I wouldn’t want to intrude on your evening’  
‘You wouldn’t be’ Serena smiled, she was curious to know more about Tony  
‘That would be lovely thank you, are you on leave Bernie? He asked as they sat down  
‘No, I’ve been out the army for nearly a year, was blown up by an IED, then blown up by life, it’s been an interesting year, I work at Holby City Hospital now, on AAU with Serena, we co-lead and she lets me play around with all the trauma I want, even persuaded the board to build me a trauma unit to play in’  
‘Some girls get all the luck’  
‘We sure do’  
‘Well Holby is very lucky to have you there’  
‘Don’t we know it’ Serena smiled, squeezing Bernie’s hand  
‘Here for the conference?’  
‘Serena and one of our colleagues where, I just turned up after being instructed to’ she smiled at Serena ‘how long have you been working here?’  
‘Been here since I came out of the army, not long after you patched me up, it was one close brush too many for comfort for my liking, worked my way up, been head chef for the last 18 months’  
‘That’s fantastic’ Bernie smiled ‘as Serena said the food was outstanding, thank you for pudding and the champagne, it was very nice of you to do that’  
‘Not a problem, to be honest I probably owed you that from poker games whist laid up’  
‘She wasn’t lying about beating everyone at poker then?’  
‘Wolfe by name, Wolfe by nature, complete predator’  
‘Don’t you go giving all my secrets away Tony’  
‘As if I would, you two have almost caused several domestics in my kitchen this evening’  
‘How have we managed that?’ Serena raised her eyebrow  
‘Well your waiter, Simon, his girlfriend Chloe is a waitress to and she has been giving running commentary on you two this evening, which in turn has meant Simon has had an ear bashing about romantic gestures, tell him he should take note ready for valentine’s day’  
‘Poor Simon’ Bernie laughed ‘will have to make sure we leave him a big tip to compensate’  
‘My assistant chef Karen has also had her ear chewed off about how to keep romance in a long term relationship, her wife Fran works on reception, spotted you coming in Bernie, she was in my kitchen earlier saying about this blonde dressed in green who had walked into reception, pulling a case, carrying flowers and champagne, been met by a man who took them all off her, vanished, whilst the very attractive blonde had walked in here, apparently the man left carrying a different case 5 minutes later’  
‘That would have been Ric, a colleague; he had been at the conference with me’  
‘Staff here has missed a vocation in intelligence, nothing gets past this lot’  
‘That’s why they are the best in the hotel game Bernie. After Fran’s comments and Chloe’s running commentary, myself and Karen came out to see for ourselves’  
‘I bet they were convinced I was a prostitute’ Bernie laughed  
‘Fran did before she spoke to Chloe; they then got all excited and made up several romantic notions’  
‘Which you then smashed telling them I was the army doctor that put you back together’  
‘No it had the opposite effect, I now have the first meeting of the Bernie Wolfe fan club in my kitchen’ Tony laughed ‘they were then making up just as ridiculous stories about you just arriving home from leave and desperate to see your long time love’  
‘Those kids watch far too many movies and ready far too many books’ Serena smiled ‘let your assistant know we have only been together a few months and this is me getting out of the dog house for being at a conference on a weekend, Bernie’s birthday weekend’  
‘I will, I’ll leave you ladies too it, enjoy the rest of your weekend’  
‘We will thank you Tony; it’s been fantastic to see you after all these years’  
‘You too Bernie, it’s been lovely to meet you too Serena, any trouble with this one and you know where to find me’  
‘Thanks Tony, I will remember that’  
‘You cheeky git’ Bernie laughed as they stood up and hugged  
‘What room number are you in? I will make sure some breakfast gets sent up to you’  
‘That’s kind of you Tony, its 721’ Serena smiled, shaking his hand  
‘Pancakes, pastries and fruit’  
‘Perfect’  
‘Tea or coffee’  
‘Coffee, thanks Tony’  
‘My pleasure Bernie’ he went to walk away before turning back to them ‘glad you got rid of the prick you were married to, you were far too good for him’ he added before leaving  
‘Typical squaddie, why say four words when two are enough’  
‘Charm you just can’t lose it seems’ Serena smiled ‘Although I have to agree with him on the last thing’  
‘No arguments here; I am very glad I found you Serena Campbell’  
‘I’m very glad that IED blew you up and blew you into my life Bernie Wolfe, as pleasant as it has been to catch up with your ex-colleague and give some kids lessons in romance, how about we take these glasses of champagne upstairs, open the bottle you bought with you and turn this into a private party?’  
‘Happy birthday to me; happy birthday to me’ she passed Serena her glass, picked up hers, took hold of Serena’s hand and lead her across the restaurant ‘happy birthday dear Bernie, happy birthday to me’


	8. Up The Ladder To The Roof

Serena looked at her phone, laughed at the message and smiled as she closed her hand round her phone ‘No need to ask who that message was from, how is the Major this evening’ Fletch grinned  
‘Clearly bored whilst waiting for the train home, judging by the photo she has just sent’ her phone pinged again ‘past boredom judging by the last one’  
‘I dread to think knowing you two’  
‘Cheeky, no she has sent a picture of her sat with her coat, scarf and hat on, followed by some lyrics to a song I have never heard of’ the phone pinged again ‘now it’s one of wine glasses and a fire, well I say a fire it’s actually a disposable barbeque, clearly a day sat listening to lectures has addled her brain, that’s the only reason why Bernie would be sending random selfies and google images’  
‘Not exactly the valentine’s pictures most people would send to their other half when miles away’ he winked  
‘I don’t know what you mean Charge Nurse Fletcher’ she raised her eyebrows and watched as Dom came into the ward  
‘Yeah right’ he laughed ‘Dr Copeland, what can we do for you or are you here to deliver my card personally?  
‘You mean you’ve not already received it? Serves me right for signing it with a question mark, bet you had loads of those, as much as I would love to play postman I have been asked to come get Ms Campbell, one of the maintenance team has fallen up on the roof and injured themselves, Mr Hanssen has requested that someone from the trauma team assess him before he gets taken to ED, doesn’t look like he is that badly injured but health & safety and all that’  
‘Bizarre, but who am I to question what our great leader has decreed’  
‘You will need your coat and hat, its rather parky up there’  
‘Ok, give me a minute’ Serena went to the office  
‘Well that was easier than I thought it would be. Can you send a message when we leave?’  
‘Sure can’

 

‘Something about this Dr Copeland just doesn’t make sense’ Serena stated as the approached the door to the roof  
‘It will make perfect sense I promise’ he opened the door to reveal Bernie stood there ‘have a nice evening’ he quickly ran back down the stairs  
‘How are you here?’ Serena was shocked  
‘Easy, I got home three hours ago, I fibbed about what time my talk was, you didn’t look too closely then at what was behind me in that picture, or the view with the wine glasses’  
‘Why would I? I thought you were in London and wouldn’t be home before 10’  
‘I couldn’t leave a beautiful woman without a date on valentine’s, not a typical place for a romantic date, but it is very us and I think it’s perfect for us to spend our first valentine’s evening in the same building we shared our first three kisses don’t you? I had to bring you to the roof for a picnic as I didn’t fancy getting booted out of theatre or being in our office’ Bernie smiled widely  
‘You romantic fool, anywhere with you is just perfect’ Serena stepped forward and threw her arms around Bernie as their lips met in a passionate exchange.

‘I can’t believe you arranged all this’ Serena said as they sat curled up in blankets on a double seated camping chair, watching the stars in the sky and eating chips  
‘Rooftop picnic in February, every girls wish for Valentine’s day, a warm cosy restaurant would have been hell this evening, if I had booked a table somewhere one of us at least would have been delayed, it would have been over priced and no doubt all the decent menu options would have sold out by 8 because half of Holby had visited. To be honest I didn’t want to share you with anyone else this evening, but wanted to do more than sitting at home with a take away and a bottle of wine, so thought picnic, bonfire & blankets’  
‘And as you can’t light a bonfire on a hospital roof you lit a barbeque instead’  
‘Moment of genius, although a proper genius would have cooked on it, rather than going to our local chippy and persuading them to lend me one of their bags they keep deliveries warm in’  
‘No this is just perfect’ Serena fed Bernie a chip ‘after all it is fish and chip night’  
‘We wouldn’t want to go breaking with routine, I made sure Jason’s regular order was paid for too so all he would have to do is collect it on his way home from work at 8:30, when I texted him to let him know he still didn’t know if Celia was well enough to come round this evening but Joe & Rachel said they would check when he arrived and would make sure he had some for her and we could settle up next week’  
‘You really did think of everything didn’t you?’  
‘Sure did, even thought of a few other things that wouldn’t really cross your mind’  
‘Like what?’ Serena looked baffled as Bernie unwrapped herself from blanket and dashed behind one of the heating system vents on the roof, reappearing with a fire bucket containing water ‘where did you get that?’ she laughed ‘and why have you got it?’ her laughter continued and increased as the sound of Bernie’s laughter mingled with hers  
‘I nicked it from the porters for the evening, they use it as an ashtray outside the porters lodge so they can have a sly cigarette, don’t ask me how I know that’ she smiled ‘didn’t want to light a fire on the roof without having the ability to put it out, knowing my luck a candle would get knocked over and set a blanket alight, imagine trying to explain that to Hanssen, bloody hell it’s freezing’ she put the bucket down ‘hadn’t realised how cold it had gotten, the joys of being cuddled up to you I suppose’  
‘Well get yourself back over here then’  
‘Don’t need to be told that twice fräulein’ she dashed back over and dived under the blanket, pulling Serena closer ‘that’s better, shame I can’t do anything to improve the weather’  
‘It could have snowed, then what would you have done?’  
‘Booted Jason into the kitchen to watch TV so we could spend the evening curled up on the sofa, in front of the fire, pretending the fake flames of the gas fire were real flames’  
‘Cuddling was all you had planned was it?’  
‘Not entirely, I planned to kiss those beautiful lips of yours many times too, I love you’  
‘I love you too, Happy Valentine’s Day my darling’  
‘The first of many spent with you’ Bernie smiled before kissing Serena.


	9. Lady In Red

Bernie closed the office door, leant back against the woodwork and let out an appreciative hum as she took in the vision in front of her ‘Wow, you look……’ her words trailed off causing Serena to turn round from looking in the small mirror she had placed on the shelf in order to finish applying her make up  
‘Having trouble finishing your sentences again Major?’  
‘Only ever a problem when you are about’  
‘Mind out of the gutter please’ Serena smirked, acknowledging the lustful look on her wife’s face  
‘Spoil sport….suddenly I am thinking that it was a glad that trauma case came in’  
‘How on earth have you come to that conclusion?’ Serena was baffled ‘What’s good about you having to stay here for another 3 hours in case of a re-bleed, trust this to be the evening there is no other doctor available for a few hours who has the skills needed? We could have been in a hotel room an hour ago getting ready, just the two of us; but no we are stood here and you are in scrubs, yet again Valentine’s Day has a Holby shaped spanner in it. As if it wasn’t bad enough that we have to attend this bloody function tonight, what idiots arranged it for today? Serves us right for getting excited about celebrating our first married valentine’s with a romantic night in, taking the advantage of it being a Friday night, of it being a weekend with no on calls or scheduled shifts. Now the plan we made to make the best of the evening has changed and you are happy about it?’ she exclaimed, Bernie’s words had unleashed Serena’s anger  
‘I never said I was happy, I said I was glad my darling, if we had been in that room right now’ Bernie walked towards Serena ‘I would be peeling that very sexy red silk dress from your body and worshipping every inch of you’ she wrapped her arms around her waist and left a trail of soft kisses across Serena’s collar bone before showering her neck with them  
‘Again I am struggling to find any logic in your previous statement; if you are not careful it will take more than a few well-placed kisses to persuade me to spend the night in a hotel with you’  
‘Those at tonight’s ball will see my logic when they see how amazing you look, something they might not have seen if it had not been for that trauma case as one look at you and I am sure I would not have let you out of bed let alone the room this evening’  
‘Wicked woman’  
‘Says the temptress in red, sod tonight I wouldn’t have let you out till they kick us out on Sunday’  
‘Why Sunday my I ask?’  
‘When I went to book a room for this evening, Ellie & Charlotte suggested we stayed all weekend and enjoyed ourselves, I would have took the credit but didn’t fancy sleeping alone when you found out the truth’ she chuckled  
‘What a fabulous idea from them’  
‘They didn’t fancy a weekend of us being mushier than normal around them’  
‘Our house we can do what we want, Jason hasn’t got a problem with it, they know the rules on family weekends; our only full weekend off together each month means we can slope off to bed early on a Friday night or stay in bed till late on Saturday morning if we want. Oh shit family weekend, what about Sunday dinner?’  
‘What about it?’  
‘4 hungry children, why didn’t you say anything when we went to the supermarket, could have got some pizzas instead if only Jason was going to be home’  
‘He won’t be, all of them will be at home, they were adamant they were still having their fun together whilst we were off having ours, they are cooking the roast, it should be ready in time for our return’  
‘How did you get them to agree to that? They tend to think that our fridge is their free supermarket and forget how to cook when they come to stay; even Jason follows their lead for the weekend’  
‘Serves us right for buying a house with a bedroom each for them’  
‘We failed to think that through properly’  
‘A rookie mistake for such usually clever people’ Bernie laughed ‘As much as I love having the girls living with us during Uni holidays, I do like it when they bugger off again’  
‘You can say that again, although this summer it will only be Charlotte that buggers off again, unless Ellie decides to continue to fleece her father and do another degree, that girl likes uni life far too much’  
‘So is my statement from earlier understood now?’  
‘Luckily for you Mrs Wolfe it is but I will be needing a kiss to make up for the heart attack you almost gave me’ she smiled  
‘With pleasure’ Bernie leant forward and captured Serena’s lips with her own, slipping her hands lower and pulling Serena closer to her, causing a moan to catch in Serena’s throat as she deepened the kiss and encouraged Serena to take steps backwards towards the back wall of their office.  
Their movement was halted by a knock and the opening of the door, causing them to spring apart ‘Sorry to interrupt’ Ric grinned  
‘I highly doubt the sincerity of your apology Mr Griffin and knowing my wife she probably wants to kill you for knocking on the door, your interruption is well timed as I really should go back and check on my patient’ she turned back to Serena ‘I’ll be there as soon as I can, leave your case on my desk, I’ll check us in when I arrive and get ready in the room rather than waste time here’  
‘Ok, you will miss dinner’  
‘That’s ok I will go and risk the canteen, you really do look amazing you know, sorry I won’t get to see how many heads you turn when you walk in the room’  
‘I will give you a full report’  
‘Thanks Ric, don’t let anyone turn her head before I get there, especially the wine waiter seeing as it’s a free bar’ Bernie kissed her cheek  
‘Uncalled for’ Serena raised her eyebrow ‘Go do your glamour job’  
‘I’ll keep her safe until you arrive, although I highly doubt anyone would turn her head, unless you have an identical twin sister who owns a vine yard and works as a wine waiter?’  
‘I don’t anymore, I had her bumped off before Serena could meet her’ Bernie laughed as she exited the office  
‘Bernie is right, you will turn heads you look stunning, it’s probably for the best that she is stuck here otherwise the number of medical professionals killed by the Wolfe glare will be in triple figures’ Ric notices the weak smile Serena offers ‘What’s up?’  
‘Just being silly, ignore me’  
‘No, what’s wrong is it because my hair isn’t as good as Bernie’s or that I forgot to wear a dress to compliment yours?’  
‘How did you guess it was the missing dress’ she smiled ‘I was looking forward to walking in on Bernie’s arm, I know it’s daft, but we couldn’t do it the first time we went to one of these things together as it wasn’t common knowledge we were together, plus the guest list made it tricky, but now we don’t have to go treading on eggshells she’s…’  
‘Stuck at work’  
‘See I said it was daft’ she looked down embarrassed’  
‘It’s not daft, it’s lovely’ he walked over to her and took hold of her hand ‘and what being is love is all about, you two have a love stronger than any other I have ever seen, soulmates is the right word for you two, anyone can see that when they spend time with you both, it’s a lovely thing to watch, I am rather jealous of what you share to be honest’  
‘Jealous?’  
‘Yes, not many relationships hold the level of love and adoration that you two have for each other, despite everything you went through to be together and the things you have faced since you still look at and care for each other the way you did when this all began and that is very beautiful’  
‘Valentine’s has turned you soppy Mr Griffin, but thank you for cheering me up’  
‘Pleasure, now let’s go and see if Bernie really does have a twin sister’

‘Your colleague seems unhappy about being here this evening’ one of the three men sat at their table commented as they watched Serena in conversation with some guests at a table across the other side of the room ‘her face says one thing but that smile doesn’t match what her eyes are saying’  
‘Well it’s Valentine’s Day Simon and she is stuck here with us four’ Ric said as he looked over at Serena ‘Not how she wanted to spend the evening when she got married in November’  
‘Last I heard about the lovely Ms Campbell’s love life was that she was back with her ex-husband, I was at a function with him years ago and he was bragging about seeing a nurse behind her back like the old days’ Andrew commented as he sipped his drink ‘Although now I have met her all I can wonder is how the hell she fell for a snake like Edward, she’s far too good for him’  
‘No she didn’t remarry him, that fizzled out as quick as it restarted, he married some blonde a few years ago, you know the sort, looks good but lacks in the skill of conversation, so I believe, our colleague that has been delayed knows her better’  
‘Can’t imagine Edward is particularly interested in conversation with her, he was an idiot when I worked with him, can’t imagine he’s improved’ Simon added ‘letting Serena go for a second time proves that, what’s her new husband like?, she’s yet to mention him, trouble in paradise, she is more concerned about your colleague that is missing out’  
‘No trouble in paradise with spouse as far as I am aware, although I am sure when my colleague arrives she will be able to help with your queries and no doubt make Serena smile’  
‘Seems this colleague of yours is the answer to a lot of things, so back to Serena’ Andrew asked  
‘She married an ex-army medic, trauma specialist, works at Holby’ Ric smiled noticing the blonde approaching from behind  
‘So does your missing colleague work with them hence why they know the answers’  
‘You could say that’  
‘Ex-army, no wonder she is miserable about being here, all sex mad in the armed services’ Ric smiled at Andrew’s comment and at the raised eyebrows on the blonde standing behind them ‘Come on Ric what is he like, what sort of bloke is lucky enough to come home to that after a bad day at work’  
‘I bet she’s wild in bed’ the third of the men remarked ‘I’m sure I could put a smile on her face in the bedroom given the chance’  
‘Uncalled for Jack’ Ric glanced at Bernie who signalled not to give her away to the men in front of her she was curious to what else they would say about her wife  
‘Come on Ric, it’s not like you to be so touchy, or is there something you aren’t telling us about this secret other half, you clearly know the full story or is there another reason for the caginess’  
‘Such as’  
‘Well she has been dancing with you all night, so perhaps this army medic is just a story and she is in fact the new Mrs Griffin’  
‘Sorry to disappoint you Simon but the army medic exists, she’s been dancing with me because she trusts me, no doubt one of you three would try it on, more importantly the person she is married to trusts me too look after their wife when they can’t’  
‘What sort of fool would do that’ Bernie smiles at Ric defending Serena but drops the smile when Andrew, Jack and Simon spin round and look at her ‘obviously Ms Campbell hasn’t told her other half the full version of your romantic past’  
‘Sadly my charms are resistible to her, like they are to you, gentlemen this is Bernie, co-lead on AAU with Serena, who was delayed by a trauma case’ Ric says wondering if any of them will pick up on the mention of trauma’  
‘Better late than never’ Simon grins as he looks Bernie up and down ‘Think I might have to get a job at Holby if all the ladies are as stunning as you and Serena  
‘Excuse me?’ Bernie glared before noticing the smirk on Ric’s face as she sat down, he was enjoying that these men were going to get a surprise when Serena returned ‘Sorry to shatter any illusions boys but none of you are my type, even if you were like Ms Campbell I am a happily married woman’  
‘Seems you are both married to the wrong men if they happily let their wives go out without them looking that good, if I ever meet him I must thank him’ Jack remarked  
‘That would be tricky, I have an ex-husband that you might bump into but he wouldn’t be interested’  
‘Thought you said you were married’ Andrew looked confused  
‘I am’ Bernie took a sip of the Shiraz Serena had waiting for her arrival ‘my dress very much met with my wife’s approval, although she has yet to actually see me in it this evening’  
‘Wife, such a shame, all the good ones have gone over to the dark side’  
‘Luckily for me’ Bernie laughed  
‘I am sure your wife will say how stunning you look when she sees you, although there is a high chance she may be rendered speechless’ Ric replied  
‘That would be a first’  
‘It would, I am so used to seeing you in scrubs that I forget how well you scrub up when not in them’  
‘Thanks for the compliment Ric, however dodgy it sounds’  
‘Trust me Ric she looks amazing out of everything, not just scrubs’ Serena smiled at Bernie ‘You made it’  
‘Sure did’ Bernie stood up so that Serena would see the full effect of the spaghetti strapped black dress that she was wearing  
‘You look, wow’ Serena reversed the words that Bernie had said in their office as she pulled Bernie towards her before kissing her with force and passion as Andrew, Jack and Simon watched on in amazement  
‘Sorry I forgot to introduce Bernie properly, this is Bernie Wolfe, trauma surgeon extraordinaire, co-lead of AAU, formally Major Wolfe of the Royal Army Medical Corps, known round Holby as one half of the power couple of AAU, or to put it simply Serena’s very loving and attentive wife’ Ric laughed as Serena and Bernie pulled apart and sat down.

Draining her glass of wine Bernie stood and held her handout to Serena ‘Excuse us Gentlemen but I owe this gorgeous creature at least one dance before the evening ends, as pleasant as it has been to sit here talking I would rather be on the dancefloor with my arms around her’  
‘Sounds perfect’ Serena smiled before they headed to the dancefloor  
‘You could have told us about Bernie’ Simon remarked ‘or at least told us she was stood right behind us as we were talking about Serena’  
‘Why would I have done that? I would have missed the look on your faces when you discovered the truth and missed out on watching you squirm trying to make conversation with Bernie for the last 20 minutes’ he laughed as he sipped on his drink whilst watching Bernie & Serena on the dancefloor

Serena kissed Bernie’s cheek then her ear before speaking into it, staying close enough to feel Bernie exhale and watch as she closed her eyes at the words that had been spoken, smiling as Bernie nodded, eyes that sprang open as Serena moved her hands from where they had been on the blondes hips, eyes that followed the brunette walking towards the exit of the room.  
Bernie sighed before walking back to the table, knowing that Serena & Ric’s dinner companions had watched them the entire time they had been on the dancefloor, much to the amusement of Ric  
‘Sorry about earlier, if we had known you were behind us, who you were we…..’ Jack began  
‘Wouldn’t have made those comments about my wife?’  
‘I suppose not’  
‘Maybe its comments like those you made earlier are the reason why you have got nowhere else to be tonight, whilst I am sure some of your attempts of humour may raise a smile from her, I am pretty sure it would be a sympathy one, I will let you into a few secrets about my wife, a woman who four years ago was so far in the closet she was practically in Narnia until I turned up, with no effort and very little realisation from the pair of us we fell in love, she fell in love with a woman for the first time in her life, perhaps it’s true what they say about women being unable to resist a uniform, who knows, saying that we had already been together for a few months when she saw me in my mess dress for the first time at a function similar to this, one function we couldn’t make it obvious that we were together, but boy did we make up for it when we got home. Sorry to disappoint you but I am more than confident that I keep my wife happy in bed, I have yet to hear her complain because she is too busy moaning in ecstasy and she really does moan, for hours some nights’ Ric smiles at Bernie, admiring the way she is putting their sleazy companions in their place ‘so I imagine it would take more than a two minute fumble with any of you three to persuade her to give me up, even the Griffin charm never got further than a good old flirt’  
‘Your wife would win gold at flirting if it was an Olympic sport; she can wrap anyone around that little finger with her skills’  
‘You can see why I fell in love, so boys if you want a lesson in how to get the woman that you want I suggest you get Serena to tell you how she enticed me without my knowledge, share her skills, if you then want to know how to keep that woman happy in bed I am sure I can give you a few tips’  
‘Now Bernie darling play nicely, don’t go trampling on these boys egos by showing off’  
‘She wasn’t trampling on mine’ Ric added, he was enjoying this far too much  
‘I am sorry fräulein, how can I make it up to you?’ she stroked Serena’s cheek  
‘Let me think, I have just arranged for some champagne and strawberries to be delivered to our room in half an hour, so we can either sit here and make polite conversation or we can disappear and you can start to prove your claims, if we get distracted the champagne can just stay chilling in the ice bucket’  
‘I do like the second suggestion Mrs Wolfe; you know how I struggled to not to devour you in our office earlier when I first saw you in that dress, if Ric hadn’t walked in when he did you would have been pinned to that wall’  
‘Again my apologies’  
‘Don’t feel too sorry for her Ric, she hasn’t gone short, in fact anything but after this morning’ Serena winked at the three men as Ric attempted to disguise his laugh as a cough; game, set and match to Bernie & Serena he thought  
‘Don’t know why I asked for extra ice’ Serena continued ‘We usually find a way to ensure the champagne doesn’t get too warm, oh well there are other ways to make use of that ice too’  
‘We can’t ruin more towels with champagne Serena’  
‘It’s either that or you can sleep in the wet patch, although it wouldn’t be the first time that you have’ She raised her eyebrow at Bernie  
‘Enjoy the rest of your evening’ Bernie directed her conversation at the three men sitting open mouthed ‘Shame I couldn’t have been here earlier, I am sure we could have exchanged many ideas on surgery and life, Night Ric, thanks for looking after my girl in my absence’  
‘It was a pleasure Bernie’ he stood and kissed her cheek ‘Enjoy your weekend off’  
‘I will’ she grinned  
‘You too Serena’  
‘Sure will, thank you for this evening’ she kissed his cheek ‘Night gentlemen, you can understand why even a free bar can’t keep me here any longer, Bernie & Ric will confirm I love red wine, but not as much as I love the sight of my woman in the red underwear I know she is wearing under that fabulous dress’ she wraps her arm around her waist, closing the small gap between them ‘come on you, bed time, think we have given the boys enough mental images for them to enjoy their evening when home alone, I want to go an enjoy the real thing’  
‘Lead on Mrs Wolfe…..wait, just had a thought’ she moved from next to Serena and retrieved the full bottle of red wine from the table  
‘You are definitely my kind of girl; fancy a weekend in a hotel room with me?’  
‘Thought you would never ask’ she grinned as they walked away.


	10. The Look Of Love

Cam awoke to the sound of raised voices, more precisely his Mum clearly arguing with Serena, he was getting off the sofa when the front door slammed so gingerly he opened the hall way door and looked out ‘I take it that was Mum who left so delicately?’  
‘How did you guess?’ Serena laughed and handed him a cup of coffee ‘I will be leaving in 15 minutes if you want a lift, you feeling ok?  
‘Yes thanks, yes to the lift too I can sit in the staffroom and do some more revision’  
‘It will be fine, convince your Mum that you didn’t spend the evening getting drunk, she doesn’t believe me’  
‘Hence the raised voices & door slamming’  
‘Indeed, I am sure she will be in a better mood once she has pitched the education proposal to the board, it’s not her favourite thing to do, usually I handle all that but this was one she’s had to do herself, hence why she stayed so late at work last night’  
‘Also not helping with the grumpy mood’  
‘She got very little sleep once she made it to bed, that brain of hers already overreacting and thinking the worse after seeing the kitchen’  
‘Why didn’t she wake me up, she would have known I was sober?’  
‘Because it was some point after midnight when she got home, as much as I love your mother, logical thought patterns aren’t always her strongest point, she saw beer bottles and a wine bottle and thought it can only mean one thing’

‘No wonder you are hiding in here’  
Cam looked up at who had entered the staff room ‘Not hiding James I am trying to revise before the event’  
‘I didn’t mean that’ his fellow F1 began as he searched for a clean mug ‘I mean hiding from World War 3, your mum and your girlfriend are sniping at each other’  
‘My girlfriend’ Cam was baffled  
‘Ms Campbell? You were seen getting into her car last night and getting back out of it this morning’  
‘Have you really got nothing else to do than listen to gossip, very wrong gossip, try doing some revision instead’  
‘You would say that it isn’t true, too late though as mummy knows and battle has commenced on AAU, having one clinical lead in your back pocket not good enough so you have to get the other as your girlfriend too?’  
‘James you are so far up the wrong tree it’s crazy, I spent last night at Ms Campbell’s house with her and Jason, you know the porter on AAU, he is my friend, not that it is any of your business’  
‘Likely story, maybe I should try my luck with your Mum’  
‘That is completely disgusting, not that you would stand any chance’  
‘Well is you have one of the bosses someone has to claim the other’  
‘James you do know my mother is a lesbian’  
‘Yes, but I also know that you and your sister were no immaculate conception, meaning she’s not completely against the idea of a man’ the staff room door opened and Bernie walked in ‘Ms Wolfe you look lovely today, it’s not often we see you in normal clothes when on the ward’ James smiled and left  
‘What was that about?’  
‘He has the stupid idea that I am in a relationship with Serena’  
‘What made him think that?’ her distinctive laugh echoed around the staffroom  
‘Someone, probably James, saw me getting into her car last night and then getting back out of it this morning, which has given him the crazy idea that I am sleeping with Serena, he made a wise crack about how he should try it on with you’  
‘Oh please’  
‘I kid you not Mum, he even reckons I’m doing it to get somewhere with my career’  
‘Only way you will get anywhere is by hard work and what you are doing now, revising, although I imagine it is tricky with a hangover’  
‘I am not hungover; I had one bottle of beer and half a glass of wine’  
‘Don’t treat me like an idiot Cam, I saw all the empties last night, I don’t appreciate you and Serena lying to me’  
‘We aren’t lying, this exam is too important to me’  
‘Save it Cam’  
‘Thanks a lot Mum, nice to know you always think the best of me’ Cam picked up his books ‘good luck with the education pitch, once you’ve done that you might try allowing some sensible thoughts into your brain’  
‘Cam’  
‘No Mum you won’t listen so why the hell should I, Serena helped me last night, she didn’t have to but she did’  
‘Helped you by giving you free alcohol’  
‘You just don’t want to listen; perhaps we could have a conversation about this after work, if you can be civil that is’ Cam opened the staffroom door as Serena appeared in the door way ‘I would go to Pulses if I were you, company will be better, can’t hang around to referee as got an exam to get too’  
‘Good luck, although I know you will be more than fine’  
‘Thanks, I will owe Jason extra chips if I do pass, he was a tough cookie’  
‘We should hire him out to the deanery’  
‘No chance, he’s my secret weapon’ Cam left laughing  
‘What’s you plan post presentation? You don’t want to be spending all your day off here’ Serena walked over to Bernie ‘you didn’t get in till after midnight, I tried to stay awake, but after the day we had yesterday I was almost in a coma by hall eleven’  
‘Think it was about quarter to one’  
‘Please go home then after, get some sleep, I know you didn’t sleep well, I could feel you fidgeting at four this morning’  
‘Couldn’t sleep, brain too active’  
‘Guessed that from the foul mood and the fact you wouldn’t listen, still won’t listen’  
‘He can’t afford to mess this up’  
‘I know that’  
‘I don’t think you really do, if you did you wouldn’t have let him drink himself silly last night’  
‘For the millionth time I didn’t’  
‘There were 12 empty beer bottles in the kitchen’  
‘He only drank one of them and half a glass of wine’  
‘You aren’t going to insult my intelligence and tell me Jason drank them are you?’  
‘They were out of date; Cam drank one of them, and then had half a glass of Shiraz to kill the taste, the empties are on the side still at home, perhaps you should have a look when you get there and then apologise to your son; he hasn’t deserved any of the grief you have given him, nor have I. I bumped into him in the car park after leaving you, he was heading to Albie’s but when I offered him the opportunity to come round spend time with Jason and help him with some revision, he agreed without needing to think about it. He only had half a glass of wine because that was all that was left after I had one; it was the bottle we had opened the night before. I didn’t open another for two reasons; I wanted to be awake when you came home because I missed you, we had a lovely evening together yet you weren’t there and I might only be his mother’s girlfriend but I do appreciate how important this is for him, how this is his last chance so I did what I thought, what I felt was best, what you would have suggested if you had been in the car park too. I am sorry that you feel I did something wrong, overstepped my role’ Serena span on her foot and left the room.  
‘Fuck, fuck, fuck’ Bernie slammed down the coffee jar she had been holding loudly on the side, causing the nurse who had just arrived in the room to exit sharply.

Raf, Fletch and Serena were sat at the nurses station when Cam dashed in ‘You Ms Campbell are a legend’ he skidded to a halt next to her and hugged her  
‘You passed?’  
‘Sure did, every single one of the scenarios, I owe Jason more than a bag of chips, his last choice of condition and complication came up’  
‘Really I thought that one was a bit unfair, seems it wasn’t, seems he is already working as a spy for the deanery’ she laughed  
‘Wouldn’t put it past him, is mum still about?’  
‘Don’t know, don’t care’  
‘I take it you argued more after I left?’  
‘A bit’ she looked at Raf and Fletch, knowing they wouldn’t repeat the information, yes they liked to gossip but they had also been dealt the rough side of Bernie’s tongue that morning ‘His mother is a stubborn so & so, when she gets an idea in her head, she just won’t shift it’  
‘Which is why you are so suited’ Cam laughed ‘Very alike’  
‘Watch it you or I will tell her that you drank all that beer before I got the chance to throw it away and leave you to deal with the Wolfe rage by yourself’  
‘But then you would be in her bad books still’ Fletch pointed out  
‘Good point, but I’m sure threating to make her sleep all alone in the spare room with the smell of paint would sort that issue, if she doesn’t snap out of this mood I will be banishing her there anyway’  
‘Ouch’ Raf remarked as Serena walked away  
‘I’m gonna see if Mum’s car is in the car park, try and sort this’  
‘Please do or we will have to hide the scalpels or lock them in the office again’  
‘Think violence is more likely than passion this time than when Jason did it’ Fletch added

‘You dent it you pay for it’ Bernie commented as she approached Cam sat on her car boot ‘garden gnome impressions your new career plan?’  
‘No I’m sat here waiting for you to have a sensible conversation, although united nation peacekeeper will be an option after this, how did the presentation go?’  
‘Ok I think; how did your obs exam go and why are you sat out here rather than doing some work on AAU?’  
‘I am taking one for the team whilst Raf & Fletch hide all the sharp objects. You mother are going to hear me out, then stop being a fool and go make up with Serena, grovel until she forgives you. Yes I had planned to go drinking last night but I bumped into Serena and she made me see that my plan for the evening was stupid, that coming to yours was a better idea, yes I had a bottle of beer, it was out of date, they were what Robbie used to drink, Serena put the other bottle down the sink and whilst Jason prepared a condition to test me with she poured me what was left of the wine, the bottle I believe was the second bottle you two had opened the night before’ he gave his mum a wry smile  
‘We might have’  
‘After Jason helped me, pizza was ordered and I spent the rest of the evening on the X-box with Jason, he even stayed up past his routine bedtime, something you would have noticed this morning if you had been your normal self. Your girlfriend sat there the entire time looking like she was missing you, she helped me from screwing up and all she has got in return is hassle from you, I passed by the way’  
‘Congratulations’  
‘Thanks, although the word you are after is sorry and it’s not me that needs to hear it’  
‘I know I screwed up as per normal’  
‘You sure did, now how you gonna fix it’  
‘Well I have a plan, but may need your help with the execution of it’  
‘Top junior doctor one moment, cupid the next’  
‘Always a cocky sod though’  
‘I am my mother’s son after all, a cocky sod who can go and save lives now he has saved his mum’s arse, text me your plan’ he jumped off the car, hugged Bernie and walked back towards the building.

 

Raf nudged Fletch as the AAU team approached the entrance to Albie’s ‘looks like our co-lead is trying to apologise’ Serena looked up and smiled at Bernie stood there holding a bunch of yellow roses ‘doesn’t fancy sleeping on the sofa’ Raf continued  
‘Looks as if the Major knows a way to Ms Campbell’s heart that doesn’t involve Shiraz’ Fletch mock saluted Bernie  
‘That will be her back up plan’ Serena laughed  
‘Fool proof plan’ Fletch’s comment earned him a slap from Serena  
‘There are some things that not even Shiraz can fix even when Serena is involved, her girlfriend being an idiot is one of those things’ Bernie handed the roses to Serena ‘a grumpy foul tempered idiot to be precise’  
‘Let’s go on inside and leave these to make up in peace’  
‘It’s ok Raf, you have all had to dodge the fall out today so you might as well stay and watch me squirm’ she turned back to Serena ‘I am sorry, sorry for not trusting what you were telling me, sorry for not allowing you the chance to explain this morning, then not listening when you did, I got a stupid idea in my head, one I wouldn’t shift. I love that you took care of my son, stopped him from spending the evening drinking, and spent your evening off helping him to focus as if he was your own child without having to think about it, an evening off that we could have spent together if I had listened to you about that presentation. I took my stress out on you, out on Cam, ultimately my actions would have been what could have caused him to fail, not the love and encouragement you gave him, I don’t deserve you, you know that?’ Bernie grinned  
‘Whenever you say that I can’t help but smile thinking about the first time you said it’ she leant forward and kissed Bernie ‘yes you are an idiot, but you are mine and I would not change you, even when you strop like a 3 year old who’s been told they can’t have any more jelly at a party, loving you means I also love your children unconditionally, treat them the same as I do Jason and Elinor, even if she isn’t talking to me at the moment’  
‘Still want to buy me a house with me?’ Bernie put her arms around Serena  
‘Can’t wait to start looking, now how about we put the rest of this conversation on hold and get to the bar before these three die of dehydration, plus Cam has promised me a drink or two, no doubt funded by you’  
‘Busted, I had to make sure the beautiful girl didn’t break my heart and stand me up, have also persuaded a certain nephew to put the oven on in an hour so that dinner will be ready for when we get home’  
‘Lovely, hope the boys have been rewarded for their services?’ Serena asked as they entered Albie’s  
‘They have, beer money for one, pizza for the other, although Jason was not happy that he couldn’t have pizza two days in a row, but was won round with the promise of a pizza & Dr Who tomorrow’  
‘Or put another way Ms Wolfe, you thought Saturday night would be a better option as I am at work till 9 and you were supposed to be cooking’  
‘I wouldn’t answer that if I were you or you may undo what you have achieved’  
‘Wise words Dr Digby’ Bernie commented as she winked at Serena

‘Been buying the girlfriend flowers to say thank you for helping with the pass?’  
‘Piss off James’ Cam said as James sat down in the seat that had been vacated by Morven who had gone to the bar with Serena & Bernie ‘haven’t you got other people to annoy or resists to cram for?’  
‘Just because you passed the obs exam with flying colours, doesn’t mean you are god’s gift to medicine, wonder what the deanery would say about your relationship with the co-lead of AAU’  
‘Bernie Wolfe being my mother won’t be much of a shock to them’  
‘I’m sure the news of Ms Campbell will be’  
‘James, I don’t know if someone dropped you on your head as a small child, but it’s really no surprise that you failed today when you can’t even see the obvious that is right in front of you. Take a look at the bar; the room isn’t packed out that much that yet if you look where the leads of AAU are, even you will be able to work out just which member of the family Ms Campbell gets flowers from and who she shares a bed with each night, if they weren’t in a relationship they were find themselves on sexual harassment charges’ Cam smiled as they watched Bernie turn to Serena an pull her closer by the hips before whispering into her ear, Serena pulled her head back and shot Bernie a look before shaking her head and kissing Bernie ‘You really think Ms Campbell has eyes for anyone else, that’s pure love there’  
‘Fiver says our leaders will be leaving us once they have been served’ Fletch remarked as he returned from the toilet  
‘I rest my case’ Cam looked at James, who then got up and left  
‘What’s his problem?’  
‘Missing the obvious again, as for your bet, no bookie would give odds on a dead cert like that’  
‘Good job they are that predictable really, makes life a lot stressful, at least they stayed longer than Raf did once Essie arrived’  
‘Our leaders are going home; they’ve bought the drinks though’ Morven put down Cam & Fletch’s drinks and picked up Bernie & Serena’s things and returned to them at the bar  
‘No one’s sleeping on the sofa then’  
‘Not unless Mum buggers it up on the way home’  
‘Trust me, I’ve seen them leave with that lingering many times before, as you say it’s a dead cert, luckily for us’  
‘But unlucky for Jason’ Cam raised his glass to Fletch, who clinked his glass against it as they laughed and watched as Bernie & Serena made their exit


	11. I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song

Bernie yawned, stretched her back and rubbed her eyes, it had been a long day and she was in desperate need of sleep and wanted to know that Serena was ok. Serena had been unwell for several days and after an unsettled night she had eventually agreed to stay at home today and Bernie was missing working alongside her.   
How Bernie had survived her time in Ukraine baffled her, then she reminded herself that she didn’t survive her time in Ukraine she just did the job she was there to do, the last two weeks proved to do more than exist she needed Serena in her life.  
Ever since her first day back, thanks to Jason locking them in their shared office, they had been inseparable since clearing the air and the rest of the staff on AAU breathed a collective sigh of relief that the equilibrium had been rebalanced.   
Thankfully Serena had forgiven Bernie for running out, for hurting her, their pain and misery had been on a par, both plunged into the darkness. Bernie’s darkness was Ukraine, Serena’s was facing the gossip, the whispers, living her hell in front of prying eyes, every moment of those weeks apart played to an audience with no escape, that’s what Robbie was; Serena’s escape he didn’t know about Bernie, even this was a situation that got played out to the audience, extending Serena’s misery. However painful discovering about Robbie was for Bernie, she knew it was the tip of the iceberg compared to the pain Serena had gone through because of her.   
Beautiful Serena who was still proclaiming love on her return, like she had on her departure, all Bernie leaving had done was cause Serena to question Bernie’s feelings for her, rather than question her feelings for Bernie. When Serena Campbell made a decision she didn’t do it lightly, Bernie misjudged things badly, took the easy option, broke her heart herself rather than Serena break it by rejecting her love, Bernie loved her so much but was still finding it difficult to find the words to tell her so, she reached into her pocket and pulled her phone out and scrolled to the last dialled number and pressed call  
‘Hello’ a voice croaked with illness and sleep  
‘Hello you, you sound sleepy, how you feeling?’  
‘I sound like shit Bernie, I feel like it too, everywhere aches. How’s your day been?’  
‘Busy, no signs of a finish coming any time soon’  
‘What’s happened?’  
‘Just had a 20 minute warning for an RTC, thought I would ring and say goodnight, I’ll stay at my flat tonight, don’t want to wake you up or have you staying up when ill’  
‘Don’t be daft; come round, I’ve missed you today’  
Bernie smiled at the sound of Serena’s words and the tone of her voice ‘I know, missed you too, I’m not being daft but I need you to be fighting fit and by my side so curl up and get some rest, I’ll text you later so you know I made it home and I promise I will call in for breakfast in the morning’  
‘You have yourself a deal Ms Wolfe, go do your glamour job, night Bernie’  
‘Night Serena’  
‘I love you’  
‘I know you do’  
‘And I know you more than like me’  
‘I sure do fräulein, now sleep’  
‘Yes Major’ Serena’s sleepy smile was evident in her voice as she hung up on Bernie, even when she was ill Bernie couldn’t say those three words, the three words they both knew she was saying when she said the five words she regularly spoke. She had only ever said I love you to Marcus, but what Serena and she shared went beyond what she had ever felt for him, even in their early days, yet she had said them easily to him whilst she stumbled every time she tried to say them to Serena.  
She was dragged out of her thoughts by a knock on the door ‘Ms Wolfe, we’ve had a phone call from the ambulance, they will be with us in 5 minutes’  
‘Thanks Lou’  
‘Is Ms Campbell feeling any better? I guessed you were talking to her just by the smile on your face as I walked over’  
‘Are we that obvious?’  
‘You’ve always been that obvious even before everything that happened when you left’  
‘Obvious to all but ourselves it seems’ she smiled ‘as for Ms Campbell, I’m certain she won’t be in tomorrow, not if she knows what’s good for her’  
‘I’m glad she’s got you looking after her, on her side, she’s always been the one doing the looking after, never the other way round’ Lou smiled as she left.

‘Nice one boss’ Raf smiled as he joined Bernie at the scrub sink ‘that was touch and go for a while, thought we were going to lose her’  
‘She’s not out the woods yet, it’s going to be an interesting 24 hours I think’  
‘Then you need to go and get some rest in preparation, go home or go curl up with Ms Campbell’ he grinned  
‘Thank you Mr Di Lucca, can I remind you that Ms Campbell is ill’ the sternness in her voice not reflected by the smile on her face   
‘Her illness will probably improve with some medical attention from the woman she loves’  
‘You are getting rather cheeky, do I need to remind you that we are your bosses’  
‘No you don’t but you should remember a lot of staff witnessed your reunion before the blind was snapped shut, and in my case Serena had already told me that she loved you whilst you were away’  
‘Did she?’  
‘Yes, she didn’t know if you were coming back or not yet she happily told me she loved you’ he looked at Bernie ‘she had a smile similar to yours now as she told me, I hate to guess how wide her smile was when you said those words to her for the first time, tell her we will see her when she is feeling better’ he smiled before leaving.  
Bernie’s smile dropped, Serena had declared her love so easily; to her and others yet she had found it impossible, each time words failed her, I more than like you was still as close as she got even after these blissful few weeks. 

Serena rolled over in bed and reached for her mobile, smiling as her blurry eyes focused on the name attached to the text that had disturbed her dozing, grinning as she saw the content of the message and the link to the song that was attached. When the song had finished she clicked on Bernie’s number and waited ‘No you didn’t wake me’ she began before Bernie could speak ‘you are a romantic fool Bernie Wolfe’  
‘Only when it comes to you Ms Campbell’  
‘The words in the song, do they really explain how you feel’  
‘Yes in so many ways, I just need to be braver and say it’  
‘Don’t say it now Bernie, come round, I want to be with you when you do, be looking into those beautiful eyes of yours’  
‘But it’s late, you’re ill, you need to rest’ Bernie’s voice was so full of love and care which made Serena’s heart swell  
‘I need you here with me more right now’  
‘I’ll get my things, check on a few patients and will be round’  
‘Can’t wait to see you, I’ll go down and unlock the front door, you can let yourself in, save disturbing Jason, if he’s asleep, his shoulder has been troubling him today’  
‘So you have spent your sick day still looking after others’  
‘Pretty much’  
‘Well it’s a good job I am coming round to look after you’  
‘My big macho army medic coming to my rescue yet again, lucky me’  
‘No my darling I’m the lucky one’


End file.
